


Oceans and the Boys Who Inhabit Them

by underthetides



Category: iKON (Kpop)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Anal Sex, Angst, Barebacking, Dirty Talk, Fluff, M/M, Slow Burn, Smut, Summer Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 04:41:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9702653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/underthetides/pseuds/underthetides
Summary: After a nasty break-up and a bad spring semester, Bobby goes to his grandparents' home in a beach town in New Jersey to get his act together. He finds Junhoe, a fellow employee at Bobby's grandfather's grocery store, to have quite the big secret hiding underneath his blue hair: he's a merman.





	1. one

The sun beamed heat onto the neighborhoods of Virginia as kids ran through the cul-de-sacs laughing and smiling. Sweat collected on the brows of people of all ages as they romped through the streets, but nobody paid mind to the discomfort because it was summer. School was out and everybody was in a mood that matched the brightness of the sun. Summer meant fun, relaxation, and most importantly: freedom. 

Freedom for everybody _except_ Kim Jiwon. 

The 20-year-old’s usual plans from June to August included playing gigs at local venues and writing lyrics until his hands went numb. The freedom from his rigorous college schedule was always welcomed by Bobby, especially since it allotted him time to work on his rapping career, but his mother decided to make a vital change to his plans the summer after his sophomore year.

After failing the majority of his sophomore year courses due to spending too much time making music, Bobby’s mother decided it was time for a change. So, she forced Jiwon to pack up his belongings and spend the summer with his grandparents in Ocean Grove, New Jersey.

Bobby had to admit, the little town had a lot to offer in terms of scenery and beautiful sunsets along the water, but it had little to offer him in advancing his career. He highly doubted that the population comprised of mostly people over the age of 60 would be interested in hearing him spit raps. 

The move for three months made the barely-adult angry, furious quite honestly. Bobby certainly had a long way to go before he would be considered a responsible adult, but at 20 years old, the boy definitely had the basics of life figured out. He felt silly and childish for being forced into a relocation by his mother, and his friends back home in Fairfax didn’t let him forget it. 

A whole summer away from his hometown could be detrimental to his career. Sure, Bobby barely had a fanbase, but the few fans that supported him for years meant more to him than superficial ones. Plus, his rapper friends were planning big things that summer and Bobby felt anxious and upset about missing them, even if _Hanbin_ would be involved.

On the other hand, Bobby hoped that the trip would be a good chance to find serenity if nothing else. Plenty of artists took vacations away from their usual surroundings to find new muses, and he prayed he would find some new inspiration in the crevices of Ocean Grove. 

The four hour drive to his grandparents house wasn’t a long trip, but Bobby could feel the tension between him and his mother as clear as day. Underneath the anger, Bobby loved his mother, adored her really, but he felt it was ridiculous for her to control his summer plans like some high school boy in need of a drug intervention. 

As the two took off from a New Jersey gas station after filling up the tank, Bobby spoke, “It’s not too late to turn back, you know.”

Bobby peered at his mother through his peripherals after he talked to find her rolling her eyes before huffing, “your father and I refuse to support you if you continue failing classes and spending all of your time making music. You need to do something reputable and I’m hoping your grandfather can get you back on track. So yes, it is too late to go back.”

Bobby crossed his arms and turned his attention to the passenger side window, trying to hide his tensing jaw as he replied, “Mom, you know I don’t have enough money to move out yet. If I could, I would, and I’d start making real music. My career is so close to taking off, I just need a little more time.”

Mrs. Kim sighed and took a right turn to reveal a sign that read _Welcome To Ocean Grove_ before advising, “well, working in your grandfather’s store will be the perfect opportunity for you to save up money, then. Your grandparents love you and they don’t have too much life left to live, so enjoy this time with them.”

“Way to be fucking morbid,” Bobby huffed as he leaned further back into his seat to admire the large houses that aligned the streets of Ocean Grove.

The city, although lacking in any sort of nightlife, was certainly beautiful. Houses worth more than most of Bobby’s hometown were at every corner, all shades of blues and greens to match the ocean that Bobby could smell even from inside of the car. Although Bobby’s anger still bubbled through his system, he was still secretly excited to get away from the hustle of life in Fairfax.

“Watch your language around them, Jiwon,” his mother chided as she took a left turn into a familiar driveway. “You know they’re fragile.”

Bobby’s grandparents were already outside rocking in their porch swing when the two pulled up, and smiles erupted on their aging faces at the sight of their daughter and grandson. The house was as cool as Bobby remembered, but it certainly felt smaller than it did when Bobby was just a kid.

A stereotypical, but stunning nonetheless, white picket fence caged in the yard and accented beautifully against the light green shade of the two-story house. Everything about it screamed beach house, including the array of ocean-related decorations that laid just inside of the front door.

Mrs. Kim was the first one to greet her parents as Bobby began unpacking the few belongings he packed for the three month venture. As he laid the suitcases on the pavement of the driveway, he shut the trunk and made his way to hug both of his grandparents with a genuine smile brightening up his features.

“Oh, honey, you look so handsome,” his grandmother cooed as she caressed his face for a moment in admiration.

Bobby gave his grandfather a gentle hug before responding, “Thank you, grandma. You guys look great too!”

And they did. Although the two were close to hitting their 80 year mark, they were as bright and shining as ever. His grandmother was dressed, as per usual, in a sundress that reached her ankles while his grandfather sported khaki shorts and a polo. Their attire was straight out of a scripted movie about a beach town, but Bobby thought it was part of their charm. 

Bobby’s grandparents invited them inside shortly after they exchanged greetings and they began making tea for all four of them as the youngest of the group went to unpack. Their guest bedroom, which Bobby had stayed in countless times with his older brother, was decorated the same as it was the last time he was there four years ago.

Quotes about how the sea brings people home as well as assortments of seashells and paintings of marine life hung upon the ocean-blue walls. The queen-sized bed had a simple dark blue comforter and matching sheets, which blended well against the sea-themed room and white curtains concealing a large window. It was small, but it reminded Bobby of childhood and the days he used to spend fishing with his grandfather. It felt like home even though it was so far away from Virginia. 

Once he unpacked the majority of his belongings, setting aside his limited music equipment on the desk first, he went back downstairs to find the other three members of his family speaking in hushed whispers. He situated himself right behind the doorway to the dining room to hide his presence to listen in.

“I’m just worried about him, mom,” Bobby’s mother whispered. “He broke up with this boy he had been seeing for almost a year named Hanbin just two months ago and it really caused his grades to tank. He’s in that rapping group or whatever Jiwon is apart of, so my boy hasn’t really had any time to cope.”

“He’s a strong boy and he always has been,” Bobby’s grandfather assured. “This time away will be good for that too. We’ll take good care of him and work him hard at the grocery store so he won’t have time to dwell on silly ex-boyfriends.”

“Thanks, dad,” Mrs. Kim responded and Bobby heard them each take a sip of tea once the conversation had ended.

Bobby wasn’t upset per-say that his mother had mentioned his recent break-up, but he wanted to avoid the topic of relationships to his grandparents so his grandmother wouldn’t fuss over him. She was wonderful at taking care of people, her years of nursing taught her that, but Bobby was grown and he could get over pretty boys by himself, even if it still hurt to hear his name. 

The blonde then decided it was a good time to make his entrance, so he slipped around the corner, acting as if he hadn’t been eavesdropping for the past few minutes, and greeted them all with a smile. He took the only open seat in-between his grandfather and his mother and took a drink of his tea before asking, “So, what’d I miss?”

“Oh, nothing much, dear,” his grandmother lied with a sweet smile. “We’ve just been catching up. But what’s new with you?”

“Not much,” Bobby shrugged as he tugged at the sleeves of his crewneck. “I had a rough spring semester, so I’m focusing on getting my shit together. I’m excited to have a calm summer with you guys.”

“Language,” Bobby’s mother spat as her eyes glared at her son. Bobby noticed her hands gripped tightly onto the tea cup as she spoke.

“Oh, let the damn boy live,” his grandmother chided as Bobby and his grandfather chuckled lowly in response. “He’s 20 years old, he can curse every once in awhile.”

Mrs. Kim’s expression softened at her mother’s statement as she took the last drink of her tea and set it back down on the coaster. “Well, unfortunately I should head out. I have to get to work at six o’clock tomorrow and I have a good drive ahead of me. We’ll have to visit longer when I come to pick Jiwon up at the end of the summer.”

“I completely understand,” Bobby’s grandmother answered as she enveloped her daughter into a bear hug, her husband following suit a moment later. “We love you. Drive home safe, honey!”

“Will do. Love you both!” Mrs. Kim said as her and Bobby walked out of the front door. 

The two said their goodbyes with a long hug and a kiss on each of their cheeks. She smiled at her son before speaking, “I love you so much, baby. I hope you have a great summer. You are more than welcome to visit, okay? I just think this is what’s best for you right now.”

“I know,” Bobby sighed as he opened the car door for his mother and helped her in. “I love you too, mom. Please text me when you get home so I know you’re safe.”

“I will,” Bobby’s mother smiled, and the younger swore he saw tears prick at her eyes behind her glasses. As she was beginning to drive away, she continued, “Make sure to call often!”

Bobby smiled and waved goodbye as his mother drove down the street, leaving Bobby behind and leaving the prospect of Virginia so far from his grasp. He stood at the edge of the driveway until his mother turned the corner, feeling much more somber than he did previously.

He knew that this summer certainly wouldn’t be the worst thing that ever happened to him, but it certainly would lack excitement. Having a real job would be a first for Bobby, since he spent all of his high school and college days thus far trying to make money with his music. Writing lyrics, recording shitty demos of his songs, and trying to sell and perform his mixtapes were his only source of income. Bobby hoped he’d find solace in the eight dollars an hour.

The garage door opening behind Bobby pulled him out of his thoughts. When he turned, his grandfather was opening the driver’s side door and motioning Bobby to get into the passenger seat, “Come on, Jiwon, we’re going to go check on the grocery store.”

Bobby laughed as he climbed into the front seat, “I got here an hour ago and you’re already making me work.”

His grandfather cracked a smile at his grandson’s comment as he made his way down the street, “Nah, no work today, Jiwon. I just want to show you the basics and introduce you to the other boys who work there.”

“Hey, grandpa?” Bobby asked timidly, waiting for his grandfather to hum in response before saying, “Could you maybe call me Bobby? I don’t really go by Jiwon anymore.”

“Why do you want to be called Bobby?” his grandfather asked as he slowly creeped into a parking spot outside of his grocery store just a short two minute drive from the house. Bobby would have to get used to the snail-like driving of his grandparents in the next few months to come.

“It’s my rapper name,” Bobby admitted sheepishly as he stood up from the car. “Everybody but mom and dad call me it now. You don’t have to, but I’d appreciate it.”

“Well sure, I don’t see any problem with that,” the wrinkled man replied nonchalantly, which was much different than the conversation Bobby had had with his parents a few months prior. Bobby was thankful for the lack of arguing and yelling involved in the name change with his grandfather.

A small bell dinged when the two walked into his grandfather’s grocery store. Bobby was honestly surprised that a small store like it could still be in business after huge corporations took charge, but the blonde was happy to see the family business still booming.

The quaint little building was certainly old and bits and pieces of it were falling apart, but that was it’s charm. Bobby’s grandmother kept the place decorated in accordance with the season, including putting decorations along the giant _“Jiwon’s”_ sign that was lit up on the wall right inside the doors. Bobby smiled at the memories of romping through the aisles with his brother as a child. 

“So, here it is,” Bobby’s grandfather presented as he made his way to the office in the back. Bobby followed behind as his grandfather continued, “Basically you just need to ring up orders, stock the shelves, and help customers as needed. You practically lived here as a kid so I’m assuming you remember how the store works. I’m going to have my best employee, Junhoe, show you the ropes tomorrow.”

“That sounds great,” Bobby replied honestly, little buzzes of excitement going through his system at the prospect of a _real_ job. Sure, it was a shitty grocery store that he got solely because of his family ties to the place, but Bobby was happy to help his grandfather and begin saving up for new music equipment.

Bobby’s thoughts were interrupted as the door to the office opened up. As he turned around, a boy a few inches taller than himself and handsomer than any model in any magazine Bobby had ever picked up stood before him. His skin was golden and pristine, which made it clear to Bobby that he spent the majority of his time in the sun. It looked bright and beautiful against the turquoise hair that was gelled off of the boy’s forehead. The blue hue oddly mirrored the color of the deepest part of the ocean, but Bobby thought it was best to keep his opinions about the boy’s hair to himself before they got to introductions.

“Oh, Junhoe, hello boy,” Bobby’s grandfather sang, clearly happy to see the boy about Bobby’s age. “Junhoe, this is my grandson Bobby I was telling you about. You’ll be helping him get the hang of the grocery store.”

Junhoe forced a smile and politely nodded his head to Bobby in acknowledgement, “It’s nice to meet you, Bobby. I’ll be happy to help.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Bobby said sheepishly, his cheeks shading pink in embarrassment at being in front of somebody so gorgeous. “I’m excited to work with you.” 

“Me too,” Junhoe responded sweetly before turning his attention to the owner of the business. “Mr. Jiwon, there’s a lady in front who asked to speak to a manager. Can you please help?”

“Ah, what is it for this time?” the elder grumped as he got up from his seat and began making his way to the front door to assist Junhoe with his problem. 

“She’s mad that her bread expired. She bought it last week and is seriously mad that it has expired,” Junhoe sighed as he opened the door for Bobby’s grandfather.

The last words Bobby heard before Junhoe and his grandfather shut the office door behind them was from his grandfather, “For the love of God, these old fucks get to be such a handful sometimes.”

Bobby chuckled at the old man and took a seat to soak in his surroundings once again. He thought maybe this summer wouldn’t be so boring after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know where this came from or where exactly this is going to go, but I'm excited. I hope you enjoy! Feedback is always appreciated <3.


	2. two

The morning after Bobby arrived, he awoke at a ripe 6 a.m. Once the infuriating buzzer of his alarm went off, he groaned and quickly slapped it to shut it up. It worked, but the lack of noise didn’t help open his fluttering eyelids that desperately clung onto sleep. 

“Time to get up, my boy!” Bobby’s grandfather called from his bedroom right next door and the younger groaned in response, unwilling to wake up at such an ungodly hour. Bobby enjoyed waking up early to have more daylight in his day, but he wanted to wake up shortly after the sunrise - not before it. 

Once he gathered the strength to lift himself from bed, he pulled on his _Jiwon’s_ uniform which consisted of a white dress shirt, black dress pants, and a red apron that hung onto his hips. When he looked in the mirror, he had to admit that he looked like a complete dork, so he ended up rolling up the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows to add some flair to the otherwise drab outfit.

After brushing his teeth and combing his curls into a shape presentable for the real world to see, Bobby made his way down the stairs to grab a cup of coffee. His grandparents were already in the dining room drinking their own cups and scanning the newspaper with reading glasses situated on the bridge of their noses.

“Good morning, sweetheart. How’d you sleep?” his grandmother asked with a smile as she gestured for Bobby to sit next to her.

After taking a seat and a sip of his coffee, he replied in a groggy morning voice, “Not too bad. How about you guys?”

“We always sleep wonderfully. This town is so quiet at night you could hear a cricket fart,” Jiwon Senior responded nonchalantly, his eyes not leaving the newspaper.

Bobby couldn’t help but laugh, “It’s quiet because you guys go to bed at 8:30 every night. Nobody starts the real partying until at least ten.”

“You think there’s partying in this town, boy?” Bobby’s grandfather asked as he looked up at his grandson. “All of our neighbors are on the brink of death. They haven’t partied since before you were born.”

“Jiwon,” Bobby’s grandmother snapped at her husband. “Don’t go around wishing death upon people now.”

Bobby’s grandfather winked at Bobby and the two chuckled lightly under their breath as the younger took the last drink of his mug of coffee. He discarded it in the sink gently before putting on his shoes and speaking, “Well, I’m off to work. I’ll see you guys this afternoon.”

“Wait, honey can you actually pick some things up for me while you’re out? I’ll let you get off of work early if you will,” his grandmother asked sweetly as bat her eyelashes.

Bobby sighed, “Sure thing, grandma. What do you want?”

The elderly woman pulled a list from out of the pocket of her sundress and handed it to Bobby. The younger thought it was funny that she had prepared a list before he even said yes to the proposition, but his grandma _did_ know him well enough to know that he’d do just about anything for her.

As Bobby was about to leave, his grandfather called out, “If you need any help today, ask Junhoe. I specifically asked him to work with you this morning so he can help out. Don’t call me unless it’s necessary.” 

“Will do,” Bobby yelled back as he opened the front door. “Love you guys!”

The two replied with the same sentiment as Bobby began making his way to the grocery store just a few blocks away. At that time, it was about 6:30, so the sky was slowly turning orange and pink instead of pitch black. Bobby had to admit that the sight was beautiful, picturesque even, especially with the smell of the ocean accompanying it as he walked.

He managed to walk to the store in just seven minutes to find Junhoe already pacing around the building. He had a list in his hand and was penciling information in as he looked up and down the aisles. Once the bell to the store chimed, signalling Bobby’s arrival, Junhoe peaked up and greeted nonchalantly, “Hey, good morning.”

“Morning,” Bobby replied politely with a bow as he made his way to the front of the store where the two cash registers were situated. He clocked in swiftly and then made his way over to Junhoe, who was still scanning the aisles. They walked in silence for a minute or two, Bobby following every step that Junhoe made as the younger peared at him strangely.

“Can I help you?” Junhoe finally questioned after a few minutes of Bobby following him around like a lost puppy. Even with snappy questions, Bobby had to admit the younger was still incredibly attractive.

“Gramps told me that you’d help me today, so I’m helping,” Bobby smirked, knowing full well that he was annoying the other boy. If he was being honest, he thought Junhoe was charming when he was annoyed.

“Yeah, I said I’d help you, not be your personal guide dog,” Junhoe responded and Bobby couldn’t help but chuckle. Junhoe let out a single breath of a laugh in response as he made it to the end of the four long aisles of the store. 

“Fair enough,” Bobby finally asserted as the two made their way back up to the front by the cash registers. “What can I do to help you out?”

“Well honestly, the store is only open at six o’clock as a formality,” Junhoe admitted as he took an enormous gulp of water from his bottle on the counter. “Usually people don’t start coming in until 10 or 11, but Mr. Jiwon likes the other employees and I to be here early to check on inventory and be here just in case anybody shows up. I basically just play on my phone until a customer comes in.”

“He doesn’t get mad at you for that?” Bobby questioned curiously, unsure of how different his grandfather was at home versus in the workplace.

“Not usually,” Junhoe shrugged as he pulled out his phone and took another gulp of water. “Obviously I put it away once customers come in, but otherwise he doesn’t care as long as I finish all of my other duties. I just checked inventory, so you could help by sweeping if you’d like.”

“Sure thing,” Bobby answered as he grabbed the broom and began sweeping the floors. The two stayed in silence for a few minutes as Bobby dragged the broom up and down the aisles while Junhoe scrolled through his phone intently. Even though Bobby was content with his friends back home, he knew that he needed some social interaction with somebody his own age for the next three months and somebody as handsome as Junhoe would be a great place to start. “So, what are you doing on your phone?”

“Reading.”

“Reading what?”

Junhoe looked up at him in annoyance before peering back down at his phone after taking a drink. “I’m reading articles on a website about marine biology. Is that good enough for you?”

“Is that why you drink so much water? To get in touch with the ocean?” Bobby chuckled as he continued sweeping, not noticing the look of shock that fell onto Junhoe’s features at the accusation. “That’s interesting though. What creatures?”

“I drink water so I don’t get dehydrated. Maybe you should do the same since this town can get really fucking hot in the summer,” Junhoe remarked. “But if you must know, I’m reading about how lobsters have no size limit and continue growing until they die. I read about whatever is featured on the website. It’s interesting.”

“I bet it is,” Bobby answered honestly as he swept the last bits of dirt and debris into the dustpan and discarded it in the trash. “I used to be obsessed with marine animals when my grandparents first moved here. I swore I was going to be a marine biologist when I grew up, but you know how shit changes.”

“Well, what do you want to be now?” Junhoe asked curiously, genuinely interested in what Bobby had to say now that he knew that he too had a love for the ocean. 

“A rapper,” Bobby admitted as he made his way back to the front of the store near Junhoe. “I’m in college to appease my parents, but I’m a music major. How about you?”

“You’ll have to show me your stuff sometime. I’m a singer myself,” Junhoe mentioned as he put his phone down to look up at Bobby, now invested in the conversation. “I don’t really know what I want to be though. I guess I’m just taking it one step at a time.”

“Really? You like music? ” Bobby questioned enthusiastically, excited that he met somebody invested in music so soon after his arrival to Ocean Grove. “You’ll have to sing for me sometime. But I can’t believe your parents haven’t forced you into going to college or finding a career path.”

“My parents don’t care much about what I do,” Junhoe shrugged as a customer walked into the store. Both of the boys greeted her with a friendly salutation and smile before turning back to one another, “I live on my own a few blocks down. I’m just trying to enjoy my time here while I can and see where it takes me. I’m not pressed to find a career at the moment. I’m young. Shit doesn’t matter.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the elderly woman asking for help. Junhoe put on a professional yet beaming smile as he made his way over to the frozen section where she began asking questions that Bobby couldn’t quite hear so far away.

The rest of the shift went by relatively quickly. Quite a few customers came in, so Bobby and Junhoe spent most of the day at the cash registers bagging groceries and checking people out. The two remained chatty throughout their shifts, bouncing between subjects about the ocean and music and funny customers once they exited the store.

Junhoe left about an hour before Bobby did once his replacement came in, a young, brunette girl who looked to be about 16, with a nonchalant goodbye. Bobby spent the rest of his shift bored without Junhoe. Although the girl, whose name was never mentioned, was sweet, she was quiet, so the blonde just busied himself with small tasks for the remainder of his shift.

Once the clock hit 2:30, Bobby immediately shuffled out of the store with a swift goodbye, leaving his apron in his grandfather’s office to wear the next day. The warm sun hitting his cheeks was more than welcomed to Bobby once he exited the building and began making his way into town, thankful to be outside and enjoy the temperate weather of Ocean Grove. 

As he made his way into town, his grandmother’s list in hand, he began scanning the small downtown area for the stores mentioned on the list. The first stop was a market, where Bobby picked up an array of fish (that Bobby prayed he wouldn’t have to eat) and a few apples. 

He was surprised at how friendly almost everyone in the town was, even excluding the salesmen and saleswomen who were forced to be kind to their customers. Every person Bobby made eye contact with gave a bright smile in his direction, some even brave enough to start some small talk with him since they didn’t recognize him from the neighborhood.

After a few more stops, Bobby’s eyes fell onto a cozy bookstore. Since his errands only took about 45 minutes, he decided to stop in. The place was filled to the brim with books. There were bookcases crammed together across the first floor, all stacked high with various literature. A sign situated at the top of the stairs indicated that non-fiction was on the second floor, so Bobby ignored the first floor to instead search for books about marine biology, his interested piqued since his conversation with Junhoe earlier that day.

Once he arrived, he chuckled at the sight of Junhoe scanning the marine biology section himself. Bobby stood and admired him for a second, admired the way he so intently looked at the books and read each summary with care and intensity. After a few moments, Bobby approached him with a tap on the shoulder. “Hey, fancy seeing you here.”

Junhoe jumped and gave Bobby a surprised expression before he realized who he was. Junhoe cracked a smile and a breathy laugh before responding, “What are you doing here?”

“Same as you,” Bobby said as he gestured towards the bookshelf. “I was going to buy a book on marine biology.”

Junhoe’s features softened at Bobby’s words before he responded, “Well, I actually have a lot back at my apartment. If you don’t want to spend your money, I can let you borrow some. Just be warned that I’ll make you pay if you ruin them.”

“Pay as in money or are you threatening me?”

“I guess you’ll find out if you ruin one of my books.”

Bobby chuckled at Junhoe’s frankness before they fell into silence for a few moments. They nervously shuffled their feet back and forth, looking for a conversation that they didn’t extensively cover earlier that morning. 

Junhoe was the first to break the silence after a minute or two, “Well, social convention forces me to help you out since you’re new here and the only guidance you have in town is from two 70 year olds. So, how about I show you around town?”

“Is that your way of saying that you actually enjoy my company enough to help me?” Bobby winked as his eyebrows raised suggestively.

“I’ll continue to let you believe in your delusions,” Junhoe bit back, but a small smile softened up his features after he spoke. Without another word, the younger motioned Bobby to follow him downstairs and out of the bookstore.

Once they reached the outdoors, Junhoe’s first stop was a smoothie shop just down the street from the bookstore. The blue-haired boy claimed that they had the best smoothies he had ever tasted, especially the strawberry banana one. Bobby made a mental note to try it as they continued on.

Junhoe took him to quite a few spots around town. An alleyway that housed a few friendly dogs that both of them stopped to pet. A record store that Junhoe swore by. The only clothing store in a 20 mile radius that sold pants other than khakis. 

At the end of their tour of the town was the beach, where families were laughing and playing in the sand and romping through the crystal-clear water. No matter how many times Bobby had visited Ocean Grove, he couldn’t get over how beautiful the ocean that surrounded it was. It was no wonder why he and Junhoe loved the water so much when it looked this vibrant in the town.

Junhoe ignored the families and continued his way to a more secluded section of the beach further east. After a few minutes of walking, they ended up in a section of sand that was completely empty with a dock attached just a few yards down.

“This is one of my favorite places in Ocean Grove,” Junhoe admitted as he scanned the area. “This is where most of the people our age hang out. It’s far enough away from most of the houses that we can be pretty loud without anyone giving us trouble. Plus, it’s a great place to drink yourself stupid.”

“Sounds like a good time to me,” Bobby responded as he scanned the serene part of the beach himself. “It’s really pretty too.”

“It looks great when the sun rises and sets,” Junhoe added as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You should really watch it sometime. It’s one hundred percent worth it.”

Bobby smiled and nodded, indicating that he certainly would as Junhoe offered nonchalantly, “Hey, I know it’s hard to make friends with anybody under the age of 60 in this town, so if you’d like to come to this party tomorrow night on the beach, you can say I invited you. A few of my friends are throwing it and they don’t mind if I invite someone. It should be lowkey, like 20 people or so.”

Bobby smiled a toothy grin before responding, “Sure, I’d like that. I’ll see you tomorrow then. I really appreciate your help today.”

“Yeah, no problem. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Junhoe nodded with a small smile as he turned in the opposite direction, heading towards what Bobby assumed was his own house. 

The elder then began making his way back to his grandparents house, the bags of his grandmother’s belongings weighing heavy on his tired arms. The discomfort was worth it though, especially since he got to explore with Junhoe. Even though the two had met just a day ago, Bobby couldn’t ignore the undeniable chemistry lying beneath the harsh jokes and friendly banter shared between the two. Bobby tried to shake the thought from his head as he continued uphill to his grandparents’ house, pinning the feeling of belonging with Junhoe on his loneliness now that Hanbin was gone and the younger boy’s undeniable good looks and charm. If nothing else, Bobby was happy to find a friend in that mess of a summer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story. I'm really starting to love it myself and I hope you are too! Also, feedback is always appreciated <3.


	3. three

Clothes laid strewn across Bobby’s bedroom, discarded as the adolescent dug through the limited clothing options he brought along with him to New Jersey. The blonde figured that he’d spend most of his time with his grandparents or working at the store, so bringing his most fashionable clothes was far from his mind when he was packing, but at that moment he regretted it endlessly. 

After a good thirty minutes of searching for options, Bobby finally settled on ripped, baggy jeans that hung below his hips and a red flannel. He unbuttoned it down far enough to reveal some of his toned chest in hopes of making a good first impression on the people he would meet that night (or a really great third impression on Junhoe). 

Once he gelled up his hair and threw on a pair of his favorite shoes, Bobby was well on his way out of the door before his grandfather’s voice rang from the living room, “Young man, where are you going at 10 o’clock at night?”

Bobby sighed heavily, knowing well that he should’ve asked his grandparents permission to sneak out so late, but he was too afraid they would reject the chance for him to spend more time with Junhoe. The blonde peaked his head around the corner to find his grandpa scowling, awaiting a proper answer. So, he gave it to him, “Well, uh, I actually was going to meet up with Junhoe.”

“Don’t kids still go on dates at normal hours? Like a nice dinner in the evening? What the hell are you two even doing this late?” His grandpa asked curiously.

Bobby blushed a light pink color, “Oh, it’s not a date. We’re going to a little get together on the beach. I promise I’ll be quiet when I come back.”

“Well judging by the look you gave me the second I mentioned it being a date, I’m going to assume that you’re lying to me,” Jiwon senior responded skeptically as he pulled his glasses to the bridge of his nose. “But go on ahead. I was young once too, go have your fun. I get it, Junhoe’s cute.” 

“Gramps,” Bobby whined, embarrassed by his grandfather’s words. “Don’t call him cute; he’s almost 60 years younger than you.”

“I’m old and straight, not dumb and blind," the elder asserted as he cracked a smile.

Bobby couldn’t help but chuckle, “Fair enough, grandpa. I’ll see you later, thank you. I love you!”

“Love you too, Bob-o,” the old man replied as he turned his attention back to the television screen. 

Bobby smiled as he shut the door behind him, careful to keep quiet so he wouldn’t wake up his sleeping grandmother. Then, he began making his way to the beach, using his phone’s flashlight to get around in the pitch darkness of the night sky.

It only took seven or eight minutes to reach the edge of the beach and it was obvious to see where the party was booming. Although the music playing could only be heard slightly from the street, the sound and the flames of a large bonfire brought all eyes onto the corner of the sand Junhoe had shown him the day previous. Not that it mattered though, since most of the people living around the beach went to bed a good three or four hours before the party began.

Once Bobby reached the secluded part of the beach through the bumps, hills, and curves of the sand, he was greeted by smiles from the entire group there. Although there were only thirteen or fourteen people there when Bobby arrived, he was grateful for the warm welcome.

“Hey! You must be Bobby!” a blonde boy spoke as he began making his way towards Bobby, a smile scrunching his eyelids. “Junhoe told us you were the new guy in town. Make yourself comfortable, we have drinks over there by Junhoe.”

Bobby nodded his head in thanks as he talked, “Thank you so much. Yes, I’m Bobby, who are you?”

A brunette boy with wide eyes soon joined the blonde stranger’s side before the smiley boy with a jaw that could cut glass replied, “I’m Donghyuk and this is Chanwoo. We’re friends of Junhoe’s.”

Before the three could get any further into introductions, Bobby spotted the tall, tanned blue-haired boy he just couldn’t wait to see walking towards the group. Chanwoo smiled at Bobby as he was introduced, but the elder’s eyes were glued to the boy who sported tight skinny jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.

“Hey, Bobby, how’s it going?” Junhoe asked as a smile beamed across his features; he was much more excited to talk to him than he usually was. The playful, hard exterior Junhoe had put up previously seemed to be a little softer, most likely due to the alcohol relaxing the younger. 

Bobby couldn’t help but bite his lip at how good the boy looked. Sure, Junhoe looked hot in his Jiwon’s uniform, but _damn_ did he look good with clothes hugging so tightly to his frame. The elder said, “I’m good, I’m good. It’s so nice to meet you guys! Thank you for inviting me.”

“Of course!” Chanwoo exclaimed as Junhoe handed Bobby a drink. The blonde wasn’t sure what exactly was in it, but it smelled like alcohol, so he gulped some down his throat after smiling at the blue-haired boy.

“So, how do you three know each other?” Bobby questioned, hoping to get a conversation in motion without too much awkwardness.

Chanwoo and Donghyuk gave each other questioning gazes as if they were searching for an answer, which made Bobby very confused. What was there to contemplate in such a simple, clear-cut question? Before the elder could trail off too long about it, Junhoe answered, “We met in high school. Chanwoo is a year younger than Donghyuk and I, but we all ended up in the same gym class and got close pretty fast.”

Donghyuk quickly interjected after, desperate to add details to the story, “We were all the worst athletes in the class, so it was easy for us to group up.”

The three laughed together at the memory, but Bobby still wasn’t sold. Something was a little fishy about the story, but he chose to ignore it. Maybe it was an Ocean Grove thing.

It didn’t take long for the conversation to lighten up, especially as the three friends dragged Bobby near the bonfire to introduce him to the others partygoers. Bobby didn’t remember all of their names, but he certainly remembered the smiles on their faces as the group got drunk together, uniting in the fact that they were young and that the city they inhabited was as beautiful as a painting. 

After a few funny stories were exchanged between the large group, Chanwoo got up from his seat on the sand and turned up the music when one of his favorite songs shuffled on. As he turned the dial, he yelled, “Let’s get this party started!”

A chorus of excited noises of agreement sounded from the group in response, moreso because they were too drunk to not be enthralled by everything happening around them. Even though the dancing near the stereo began as a large group, most people were beginning to pair up.

There were plenty of pretty girls and plenty of handsome boys at the party that night, but Bobby already had his mind set on a special boy with blue hair. The elder found him sitting next to Donghyuk still by the fire, chatting about Lord knows what with serious expressions. Bobby wondered what they were talking about that required them to be so intense with that much alcohol flooding through their bloodstreams, but ignored it as he approached them.

They quieted immediately as Bobby tapped Junhoe’s shoulder, “Can I have this dance?”

The elder held out his hand for him charmingly, but Junhoe shook his head rapidly, “Oh, no, I’m not a good dancer and I doubt you are either.”

“Oh, come on, give me a dance,” Bobby whined, his lips pouting cutely in an effort to charm Junhoe.

The younger cracked a small smile as Donghyuk laughed and encouraged, “Oh, go on and dance with him! It’ll be fun, go!”

Without waiting for Junhoe’s reply, his friend pushed him gently up from his seat and into Bobby. The elder’s eyes crinkled into a smile as he gripped Junhoe’s hand and led him to the mass of adolescents dancing, grinding and jumping alongside one another.

Bobby bit his lip and immediately began moving his hips once they reached the dancefloor, the alcohol moving him on his body’s own accord to the beat. Junhoe was a little more awkward, only using small, uncomfortable movements a few inches away from Bobby.

“Oh, I know you can do better than that,” Bobby suggested tauntingly, attempting to tease the boy playfully. “What happened to the cocky boy I met the other day?”

Junhoe rolled his eyes playfully, a seductive look covering his features as he responded, “If you really want a show, I can give you a show.”

Before Bobby could respond, Junhoe was pushing his back against the elder’s chest, his butt arching into his groin. The blonde gasped at the quick movements as he instinctively grasped Junhoe’s hips in his palms, gently guiding Junhoe’s movements against him.

The younger was moving his body in the most sinful way. He pushed against Bobby’s groin with each movement, driving the elder crazy and making small gasps lead his mouth. His fluidity was ungodly. As the song changed, Junhoe didn’t stop, letting a smirk grace onto his features as he continued grinding against Bobby. 

The elder was intoxicated on Junhoe. He couldn’t believe somebody as awe-striking, intelligent and out of this world handsome as Junhoe would even give him the time of day. Not to mention his body felt like heaven as he danced against him.

As the second song ended, Junhoe stopped his movements to grasp onto Bobby’s flannel. He gave the elder a hungry look before beginning to drag Bobby away from the chaos of the party and closer to the dock that looked so distant in the dark.

They remained silent on their trek and nobody seemed to pay them mind, too enthralled in their own movements and conversations to analyze the situation. It wasn’t until a minute or two later when they made it to the dock, walking towards the edge to give them the utmost privacy, that Junhoe finally let go of Bobby’s collar.

“I know this is probably not the best idea, but I’m drunk and you are so fucking hot I can’t take it,” Junhoe admitted hungrily, his voice needy and raspy.

“So, you think I’m hot?” Bobby smirked, winking at the younger to tease him.

Junhoe rolled his eyes as he gripped Bobby’s cheeks in his palms, “Oh, shut the fuck up.”

And then they were kissing. Junhoe’s lips were mouthing hungrily at Bobby’s and the elder was following his movements. Bobby felt so dizzy, and it wasn’t from the alcohol. The kiss nearly knocked him off of his feet at the strength, their lips moving together so quickly and harshly.

It didn’t take long for Bobby to grip onto Junhoe’s hips, desperate for more of him. His lips tasted like vanilla and felt like honey, so smooth and delicious against his own. Bobby wanted more and more and more of him. More friction, more force, more tongue.

Bobby knew that getting involved with a fellow employee was just about the stupidest thing he could do after going through a breakup. The summer love ordeal was just too cliche to Bobby, but with the way Junhoe’s lips kept lighting electricity against his own, Bobby had to admit that a romance with Junhoe certainly didn’t seem like the worst thing in the world.

After a few minutes of their lips dancing against each other, Junhoe finally pulled away forcefully, pushing Bobby’s hands off of his hips in the process. The two stayed silent for a few moments, allowing them time to pant through their shortness of breath from the intensity of the kiss. 

“Damn, if I would’ve known you were that into me I would’ve made a move the moment I saw you,” Bobby broke the silence first after trailing through his thoughts. Junhoe had been standoffish from the start, but Bobby realized now that it was his own sense of humor and way of breaking the ice. It was different, yet unbelievably charming. His intelligence and interest in two things Bobby also loved was quite the bonus as well.

“You drive me crazy,” Junhoe admitted with a heavy sigh and Bobby immediately put on a shit-eating grin. Junhoe snapped once he saw the expression, “And I mean that in the worst way. You just happen to be really hot too.”

Bobby chuckled lightly, knowing fully well that the blue-haired boy was just teasing by the smirk that played on his features. “Well, thank you. You’re pretty hot yourself.”

“Smooth,” Junhoe responded unimpressed as he shoved him playfully in response. Bobby followed his movements, teetering Junhoe close to the edge of the dock with his push. The younger’s eyes immediately shot open and jumped away from the ledge in fear. He continued harshly, “Don’t do that.”

“What, this?” Bobby taunted as he pushed him once again, this time a little bit closer the edge.

“Bobby I’m not fucking kidding,” Junhoe pleaded, a little more desperate this time. Bobby was completely unaware that the younger was truly terrified, not just afraid of getting his clothes a little wet. Unable to read the situation properly, Bobby pushed him once again, this time allowing Junhoe to splash into the water.

Bobby immediately began chuckling as Junhoe peaked his head out of the waves and pushed his soaking bangs off of his forehead. The elder then jumped in to join him, cannonballing next to Junhoe in good fun. Completely unaware that Bobby just fucked up. He just fucked up _really_ bad.

“You fucking idiot,” Junhoe muttered frantically. “You goddamn idiot!”

“What? It’s just clothes! It’s fun!” Bobby exclaimed, still oblivious to the situation around him. That was until he looked down to see a blue, giant fin just a few inches away from him. He shrieked in response and jumped away from it, quickly saying, “Junhoe, look out! There’s a huge fish over there!”

“Shut your damn mouth,” Junhoe whispered harshly as he placed his hand forcefully over Bobby’s mouth. The younger had gotten to the blonde’s side unbelievably fast. There was _no_ way Junhoe could possibly have moved that fast, yet there he was beside him. Bobby gave him a look of fear as he searched desperately for the fish that could easily hurt the pair if it wanted to. The panic that raced through his system only heightened when he looked down near Junhoe’s torso to not find legs attached to his abdomen, but the very blue tail he saw just a few moments ago.

Bobby ripped Junhoe’s hand away from his mouth to ask, “What the fuck is that?”

“Sh! They’ll hear you!” Junhoe responded, completely averting from the question as he moved away from Bobby to pull himself up onto the dock. It was very clear in that moment that the tail was attached to Junhoe’s torso, especially as it faded swiftly into human legs as the blue-haired boy exited the water to sit atop the dock. Although Bobby was pretty certain for most of the night that he had been drinking vodka, now he was positive that he had been drinking absinthe.

The elder followed Junhoe’s actions without speaking, climbing onto the dock and sitting consciously further away from him than he would normally as he wrung out the wetness from his hair. Bobby sighed, “I know I’m really drunk, but what the hell just happened?”

Junhoe scoffed as he lifted himself from the dock and pulled up Bobby quickly, “Right now, we are going to go to my house. You are not going to say a word about what you saw until we get there and I will do the same. It is absolutely vital that you do this.”

“U-uh, okay I promise,” Bobby answered nervously, unsure and afraid of what just happened when Junhoe hit the water. Junhoe smiled weakly at him in thanks, grabbing his hand as he began to pull him away from the dock and towards the younger’s house.

Bobby had been drunk plenty of times. Hell, he’d been so drunk that he had blacked out on more occasions than he cared to admit, but never in his life did he hallucinate. Maybe his brain was going mad at an early age? Or maybe something out of a goddamn fairytale just occured right before Bobby’s eyes. Emphasis on the tail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, now Bobby knows the truth...or at least kinda. I promise he'll find out more details in the next chapter. Thank you SO much for reading and I truly hope you enjoyed! As always, feedback is immensely appreciated.


	4. four

The walk back to Junhoe’s house was silent besides the sound of the waves hitting the shore and the cheers of drunk adolescents that got fainter and fainter as they got closer to the younger’s home. Bobby kept his eyes glued to the pavement most of the way there, only peaking up to look at Junhoe’s expression a few times throughout. Each time, the blue-haired boy had a scowl with a hint of worry freezing up his most beautiful features.

Once they arrived, Junhoe cleared his throat and unlocked the door, allowing Bobby to enter first before shutting the door behind the two of them. As Junhoe made his way into the kitchen, Bobby stood stationary in the living room to admire his surroundings.

The house was small, but it was certainly spacious enough for just Junhoe to live in. The living room held a couch, a loveseat, and an array of paintings of the ocean and its inhabitants along the light blue walls. It reminded Bobby of his grandparent’s home, but figured it must be an Ocean Grove thing. Or maybe it was a merman thing.

“Do you want some tea or coffee or something?” Junhoe asked from the kitchen, his voice raised slightly so Bobby could hear him.

“Coffee would be great,” Bobby smiled thankfully at the younger as he made his way into the kitchen. The room was also small, but big enough to hold the average kitchen appliances, a good amount of counter space, and a small sliding door that lead to a balcony that sat two chairs and a table. 

The two remained in silence as Junhoe brewed coffee and eventually poured them both a cup with vanilla creamer that smelled like heaven in Bobby’s still slightly-drunken daze. With coffee mugs in hand, Junhoe motioned for the door to the balcony, allowing Bobby to take a seat first after a sip of coffee.

“So…” Bobby trailed on as he allowed the coffee to warm his hands. It wasn’t cold outside persay, but the chill of the ocean’s breeze certainly cooled down the town once the sky turned dark. “Are we going to talk about this?”

Junhoe sighed and leaned forward as he placed his cup on the white table before him. He put his head in his hands as he spoke, “I don’t want to, but I guess it’s kinda necessary.”

Bobby didn’t respond, just hid his awkwardness behind another sip of brew. The elder wanted to say something that would make sense in this kind of situation, but he came up blank. Secretly, he was still hoping that this was all some weird dream or a shitty prank that Junhoe had set up to scare him away. 

The younger remained quiet for a few moments, obviously trying to collect his thoughts from the look of concentration playing on his features. Although Junhoe looked quite attractive while being quizzical, Bobby missed how easy conversation had flowed between them the last few days. A sassy Junhoe was much better than whatever Junhoe he was experiencing in those moments. 

“So, you saw it right?” Junhoe finally asked, peeking up from in-between his fingers in nervousness.

“The giant blue tail that sprouted from your hips and then magically disappeared once you resurfaced? Yeah, I saw that,” Bobby responded.

“Yeah, that,” Junhoe sighed as he ran his fingers through his wet, blue locks. “Look, Bobby, I don’t really know how to go about this. I’ve worked very hard the last few months to make sure no human ever saw my tail, but you come storming through and see it within 72 hours of knowing me.”

“I-I’m sorry about that. Pushing you, I mean. If I would’ve known what would happen I never would have done it,” Bobby admitted sheepishly, clearly embarrassed and upset with himself for revealing Junhoe’s secret he desperately wanted locked away.

“Well, when somebody asks you not to do something, you probably shouldn’t fucking do it,” Junhoe snapped as he crossed one of his legs harshly over the other. He then rubbed his temples and calmed down a bit before continuing, “I’m sorry. I know you were just being playful and flirty, not trying to hurt me. This is just really fucking bad and I’m stressed beyond belief.”

“What is it so bad?” Bobby asked curiously as he brought his knees onto the chair to push closer to his body for comfort.

“You know why merpeople are nothing but legends, right? It’s because we work extremely hard to keep it a secret from idiotic humans who want to get their hands on us to dissect and experiment on us,” Junhoe explained harshly, clearly still having anger bubbling up in his system. “It’s so hard to do as a hybrid though. The second these shitty human legs touch water, my tail instantly comes back. You’d think mother nature would’ve given us a bit more of a disguise than this but here we are. I miss when I didn’t have the ability to turn into a human.”

“A hybrid?” Bobby questioned, trying his best to keep up on the lingo that Junhoe kept throwing around during the conversation. 

“Yeah, a hybrid is what I am, at least for the time being,” Junhoe began to explain as he peered out into the ocean in the distance longingly. “The ocean supposedly speaks to President Neptune and tells him that certain merpeople have missions to complete on land. Sometimes the missions are personal, sometimes they’re for the benefit of the whole community. I don’t really know why I’m here as a human in Ocean Grove, but I’m hoping to find out soon.”

“Wait, Neptune as in King Neptune from The Little Mermaid?” Bobby asked excitedly as he leaned forward across the table with curious eyes.

“Bobby, you are so, so pretty. But goddamn are you dumb,” the younger started as he rolled his eyes. “No, not like from The Little Mermaid. That’s a cartoon you dumbass.”

“I guess that was a stupid question,” Bobby chuckled, unusually happy that Junhoe was at least relatively back to himself now that he was insulting the elder. “Can the ocean speak to you?”

“Supposedly it will call me when it’s time for me to return to the ocean for good, but so far there’s been nothing,” Junhoe admitted as he took another gulp of his coffee. “I go swimming everyday to see if it talks to me but it never does. It’s still nice to swim though. I’m so fucking slow on these good-for-nothing legs.”

Bobby chuckled slightly at Junhoe’s frustration, but his expression quickly turned serious as he got lost in his buzzing questions. “So, all of this is temporary? Your life in Ocean Grove, your job at my grandpa’s store, the friends you make? All temporary?” Bobby questioned, slightly worried that all of the hopes he had for his blossoming crush on Junhoe would crash and burn before him.

Junhoe gulped and gave Bobby an apologetic look, “Yeah, it is. I’m not sure how long I’m going to be here, but eventually I will have to go back.” 

“Then why did you kiss me?” Bobby asked, slightly in curiosity and slightly in anger. “Why did you show me around town and try to connect with me if it’s all going to end?”

The blue haired boy frowned a bit at Bobby’s words before replying, “I guess I don’t really know. This is stupid, but when I saw you I just felt this extreme pull towards you. Obviously I think you’re smoking hot, but I also think you’re interesting. You’re a dumbass, but you’re an interesting dumbass.”

“You know what, I’m going to take that as a compliment,” Bobby smiled at Junhoe and the blonde swore he saw the younger’s lips curl upwards for the first time in what felt like hours. “But I guess I felt the same. I think you’re really cool. And I thought that before I realized you’re what I once thought was a mythical creature.”

That sentence finally got a chuckle out of Junhoe. The blue haired boy looked up at Bobby with hopeful eyes before talking, “So, that’s the truth. I’m a merman. I kept a secret for a good three months and you somehow sneak it out of me. I trust you for some odd reason, I really do, but you can’t tell a soul. Not your best friends, not your family, not anybody. If word gets out it could mean danger for all merpeople. Please, Bobby, you have to promise me you won’t tell a soul.”

“I promise,” Bobby responded without hesitation. He knew that spilling something like that could cause mayhem across the globe for humans and merpeople alike. As Junhoe said, Bobby was a dumbass, but he wasn’t heartless. 

“Thank you. I seriously appreciate it,” Junhoe said meaningfully as he gave Bobby a soft smile and finished the last of his coffee. “So, are we cool now?”

“Yeah, we’re cool,” Bobby smiled at Junhoe after finishing the last of his cup as well. “But we’d be even cooler if you fed me because I’m fucking starving.”

“Well, I mostly have raw fish, but I have some grapes and apples if you want that?” Junhoe asked apologetically, clearly feeling bad for his lack of food choices.

“Raw fish?” Bobby grimaced as the two made their way inside on the hunt for edible food. The blonde continued speaking once he hoisted himself on the countertop near the refrigerator. “Why do you only have raw fish and fruit?”

“I just explained to you that I’ve lived my entire life in the ocean. The only thing we eat is fish and seaweed,” Junhoe explained as he grabbed the bag of grapes from inside of the fridge and handed it to Bobby. 

“I guess that makes sense, but damn is fish disgusting,” Bobby responded as he began digging into an apple and a handful of grapes simultaneously.

“Better for you to see me eating these fish instead of the feeder fish I used to buy at the pet store,” Junhoe stated as he ate a shrimp from the refrigerator right out of the bag. “The employees started questioning how big of a fish I had and how many I had once I came in there everyday. So, I had to resort to other options.”

Bobby chuckled with a mouthful of apple, “I can see why that could be a problem.”

The rest of the duo’s meal was spent bantering back and forth, which seemed to have become their signature way of speaking to one another over the past few days. To a passerby, the conversation could appear to be negative, but the two found immense comfort in their sassy but sweet conversations. The pair’s way of speaking just seemed to click so perfectly, especially since the two had so much in common despite being from different worlds and from two different species.

Once Junhoe ate a good 20 or so shrimp and Bobby finished nearly an entire bag of grapes and an apple, the younger suggested, “Well, it’s almost one o’clock. Do you want to just stay here tonight?”

Bobby was a little surprised by the request, but mostly flattered, “Uh, sure man. I don’t want to wake up gramps or grandma anyway. I can crash on the couch if that’s okay with you.”

“Well, um,” Junhoe stuttered as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. “You can stay in my room too. I have a king-sized bed, so there’s plenty of space if you’d like.”

Bobby licked his lips and then bit them slightly before answering, “Sure, that sounds good. Let’s just go crash.”

Junhoe nodded in agreement as he fought back a yawn. The two quickly tidied up the kitchen and made their way to the end of the hallway where a large bedroom and bathroom were situated. Bobby went into the bedroom first, admiring the gray color that complimented the ocean decorations of the room quite nicely. So much so that the elder considered telling his grandparents to paint their guest room the same color. 

The younger threw a blue t-shirt Bobby’s way once he searched for pajamas in his dresser drawers. Bobby thanked him with a nod as the two changed opposite of one another. Although they had gotten pretty personal that night, neither of them were at the level to see each other naked quite yet. 

Once the two were finished, Bobby hopped into the bed and immediately sunk into the comfort of the mattress. As Junhoe shuffled around his room, Bobby pulled the comforter up to his neck and cozied in, already losing himself to sleep. 

As Junhoe turned off the light and crawled in next to the elder, Bobby said, “Well, I have to admit I was hoping I’d end up in your bed tonight, but this isn’t exactly what I had in mind. I was expecting a lot less clothes.” 

Junhoe shoved Bobby playfully as he replied, “Don’t push your luck; I can always kick you to the couch.”

“But you won’t,” the blonde corrected playfully as he bravely wrapped his arms around Junhoe. Surprisingly, he didn’t shy away from the spooning. 

“You’re so lucky I slightly enjoy your presence and your face,” the younger admitted. 

“Slightly enjoy my presence and my face? Wow, these compliments are getting crazy, Junhoe. I think we’re moving too fast,” Bobby teased into Junhoe’s neck as he squeezed the younger closer to his body.

Junhoe laughed a bit as he welcomed the pull closer to Bobby’s chest and cuddled himself into the elder and his pillow. In those moments, neither Bobby nor Junhoe felt any worries. A lot of life-changing information had been exchanged between the two that night, but it washed away once they crawled into bed together. As Bobby slipped off to sleep, he could almost forget the fact that this was all temporary with Junhoe’s comforting presence cuddled up against him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO thankful for all of the feedback I've been getting on this story. Thank you so much for reading and for the amazing comments you guys give! Please keep it up <3\. This story is really pulling on my heartstrings and I hope that's the case for you all as well!


	5. five

For the following two weeks, Bobby spent most of his time with Junhoe. If he wasn’t at work with the blue-haired boy, he was at his house laughing about nothing and talking until the sun rose (or until Jiwon Senior called and bitched at him to come home). In-between his time with the younger, Bobby usually found himself writing raps along the sand at the beach or helping his grandmother around the house. Life in Ocean Grove was finally starting to feel normal to Bobby in the first few weeks, comforting even.

One Monday morning, after Bobby had done the dirty work of Junhoe and his shared shift of sweeping, mopping, and tidying up the aisles, he made his way into his grandfather’s office. Since he figured Junhoe would be out of the bathroom any minute to watch over the store, Bobby thought it was a good time to ask his grandfather for something he thought he deserved as an official employee: a nametag. He was wrong.

Junhoe, who had claimed that his need to use the restroom was at a level of emergency, had ran off a good ten minutes ago. Bobby didn’t mind helping the younger out, especially since he let Bobby raid his fridge and stay at his house most days. That was until he opened the door to Jiwon Senior’s office to find Junhoe not in the bathroom, but chuckling alongside his grandfather.

“I thought you had to pee,” Bobby huffed as he took the only remaining seat in the room.

“I did,” Junhoe stated as his lips formed into a smirk. “But then Mr. Jiwon pulled me in here for a little conference about our relationship.”

Although Bobby wasn’t drinking anything at the time, he nearly choked at the younger’s reply, “Our relationship?”

“Don’t worry about it, boy,” Jiwon Senior shrugged off. “It doesn’t concern you.”

“Gramps,” Bobby trailed off. “If it’s about my relationship with Junhoe, it does directly concern me.” 

“Well, you missed all of it anyway so you’re too late, my boy,” Bobby’s grandfather concluded and Bobby didn’t miss Junhoe’s little snicker at his words. The eldest folded his hands together before continuing, “So, what can I do for you?”

“Despite include me in conversations that involve me?” Bobby questioned half sarcastically and half genuinely.

“Nice try, but not going to happen,” Jiwon Senior stated sternly, but a small smile tugged against his lips. “Anything else?”

Bobby shifted uncomfortably in his seat before responding, “I’ve worked here for nearly three weeks and I haven’t gotten a name tag. I want one.” 

“You’re really one for the simple things in life, aren’t you?” Jiwon Senior asked casually as he searched through his desk drawers until he found a forgotten name tag scattered in his belongings and pulled it out. The elderly man then took out a Sharpie, scribbled something onto the piece of paper within, and then handed it to his grandson.

Bobby smiled at him appreciatively, but it immediately turned to a frown when he read it. _Boobie_. The blonde let out a groan, “Grandpa, this says Boobie, not Bobby.”

Junhoe immediately roared with laughter as he snatched the nametag from the elder’s grasp to examine it himself. Once he took a look of his own, he covered his mouth to mask the overflowing chuckles. Bobby sighed heavily as he put it on his work shirt, a small smile lighting up his face as he spoke, “Well, I guess it’s close enough. Thank you, gramps.”

“No problem, Bobby,” Jiwon Senior smiled as he put his attention back onto the paperwork flooding his desk

“You mean Boobie,” Junhoe chimed in and the two snickered. 

“I’m clocking out now,” Bobby stated sternly. Despite the harsh inflection of his voice, he smiled at the two as he left, sending a wink to Junhoe on his way out.

Junhoe followed shortly behind him since his shift was over as well. When they got back onto the floor of the grocery store, their two replacements were already at the registers bagging groceries and helping customers. They were thankful that if nothing else, Jiwon Senior’s other employees were responsible.

As the two exited the building, enjoying the feeling of the salty wind from the ocean kissing their skin as they stepped outside, Bobby asked in a gentlemanly manner “Can I walk you home?” 

“How about we get a late lunch instead? I barely have anything at the house and I’m fucking hungry,” Junhoe suggested as the pair made their way towards the beach.

Bobby stopped in his tracks at the younger’s suggestion and a smirk immediately played onto his features. Once Junhoe realized the blonde had stopped moving, he stopped himself and shot him a questioning look. Bobby’s smirk only widened, “Are you asking me on a date?”

Junhoe scoffed, rolled his eyes, and began moving again before responding, “Oh, give me a break.”

Bobby walked a bit faster to catch up with him before talking, “If I pay for the meal then it’s a date.”

“If you’d like to consider it that way, then be my guest,” the younger replied as he rolled his eyes again, but Bobby swore he saw a smile soften up his features before Junhoe continued, “But, _I’ll_ be the one paying for the food.”

“A true gentlemen,” Bobby fake-swooned as he cupped his hand over his heart in faux admiration. Junhoe laughed heartily and pushed Bobby playfully at his acts as they turned a block and reached a seafood restaurant (but Junhoe made sure they served other options since the elder hated shellfish). 

The two were silent as the host led them to a booth in the back of the restaurant. A huge window sat beside them, which gave a perfect view of the roaring waves just a short walk away from the restaurant. It felt serene despite the foul smell of fish filling Bobby’s nostrils.

As Junhoe smiled at the host and reached for the menus he sat before them, a small picture was revealed on the boy’s wrist. Bobb swore it looked like a tattoo, but could mermen even get tattoos? How would the ink work underwater?

Junhoe’s question snapped the elder from his thoughts, “What are you staring at?”

“Your wrist,” Bobby answered as he pointed at the spot on the younger. “What’s on your wrist?”

“My wrist?” Junhoe questioned as he pulled the sleeve of his Jiwon’s dress shirt up to his elbow to reveal a small tattoo of a seashell the same color as Junhoe’s vibrant, blue hair and also his tail. “It’s a seashell.”

“How do you get tattoos underwater?” Bobby asked curiously, completely ignoring his menu to delve into the conversation.

“I didn’t get it underwater,” Junhoe chuckled as he pulled his sleeve back down and smiled at the elder. “It appeared once I became a hybrid. When I need to go swimming or drink water because my body is drying out, it starts burning like crazy. It makes sure my body is well-balanced. It also supposedly is going to signal when I have to go back.”

Bobby’s heart stung at the words. In the back of his mind, the blonde knew that Junhoe would eventually have to go back to the ocean, but he constantly tried to ignore it. He had to admit that Junhoe had become one of the closest people in his life in such a short period of time. Sure, he still had best friends in Yunhyeong and Jinhwan, but things had been a bit awkward with them since him and Hanbin had broken up. Even thinking about losing Junhoe made his heart sink. 

“I hope you don’t have to go back for a long time,” Bobby mumbled quietly after a few moments of silence, his expression somber as he lazily flipped through the menu.

Bobby looked up to peer at the younger, whose smile faded a bit at the blonde’s words. He put the menu down and sighed, “I hope so too. I want to finish out my mission, but Ocean Grove is a really great place. I miss the ocean a lot. I miss swimming a lot, but I could get used to this whole human bullshit if I could live here.”

“Don’t you miss your friends and family?” Bobby asked, curiosity fueling his words since the blue-haired boy had not yet touched much on his life back in the water.

“I mean, I guess,” Junhoe shrugged as he put down the menu on the table between the boys. “My family and I aren’t too close. To be honest, I’m a bit standoffish.”

“No, you don’t say,” Bobby commented with sarcasm dripping from his words as he winked.

“Ha ha, very funny,” Junhoe bit back as Bobby set his menu on top of the younger’s. “But truly, I do my own thing most of the time. I really like my alone time. My only real friends besides you are Donghyuk and Chanwoo, but they pair up more than I join in. I love them and my family of course, but I miss being in the ocean more than anything.”

Bobby nodded thoughtfully as he attempted to think of a reply to Junhoe, but was interrupted by the cheerful waitress that came up to their table. The boys’ politely smiled at her as they each ordered glasses of water and their meals. To no surprise, Junhoe ordered some type of raw fish in abundance while Bobby asked for a cheeseburger.

Once she left, Bobby responded, “I get that. I like alone time too, but when I’m in Virginia I’m usually with my friends Jinhwan, Yunhyeong, and Hanbin.”

“Isn’t Hanbin the ex?” Junhoe questioned as the waitress set down glasses of water and the younger took a giant gulp of his. “That’s what your grandpa told me.”

“That nosy bastard,” Bobby chuckled under his breath before turning his attention to Junhoe. “Yeah, Hanbin is my ex. The four of us have been friends since high school though, so I still consider Hanbin a friend even though we’re going through a rough patch right now. We make music together so it’s hard to avoid them.”

“You’re really serious about this whole music thing, aren’t you?” Junhoe asked as he took another large gulp of water, his eyes intent on the elder.

“Yeah, I really am,” Bobby said shyly as he crossed his legs on the bench of the booth. “It’s the only thing that makes me feel good and makes sense to me. Even if I don’t end up performing, I can’t imagine doing something with my life that doesn’t involve music.”

Junhoe nodded thoughtfully as he leaned his head onto his hand, still keeping his eyes on Bobby as he spoke, “I’m glad you know what you want to do. It’s important to have a dream and work your ass off for it. I think you’re going to do great things, Bobbert.”

“I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, stupid pet name included,” Bobby admitted with a chuckle. 

“Don’t get used to it,” Junhoe winked as the waitress approached their table with plates of food in her hands. The boys nodded in thanks as she placed their respective meals in front of them. 

Once the food was in front of the two, they immediately dug in. Conversation was cut to short hums of approval at the taste of the food and comments on how beautiful the ocean looked roaring into the sand so close to them. 

Near the end of their meal, when both Bobby and Junhoe were groaning with discomfort from stuffing their faces, the elder’s phone rang it’s familiar tune. Bobby apologized for the interruption before answering the call with, “Hello?”

“Hey, man. How’s it going?” a familiar voice rang through the line.

“Jinhwan, hey!” Bobby replied enthusiastically, happy to hear his best friend’s voice. “It’s going okay. I’m at dinner with someone right now, what’s up?”

“Ooooo,” Jinhwan sang excitedly. “Is it a date?”

Bobby smiled up at an unknowing Junhoe before responding, “Maybe. I’m not sure.”

“Well, I want to hear all about it when you come up this weekend,”Jinhwan talked, his voice raising in volume as he neared the end of his sentence. Bobby let out a questioning noise before the elder continued, “We have a show at an 18+ venue downtown and you have to be here! A bunch of groups are performing so we think it’s going to be a good crowd. Can you come up?”

“Dude, that’s awesome!” Bobby cheered as he perked up in his seat. “I can ask gramps if I can take the car up for a night. I’ll text you his answer, okay? This is great, man, thank you for inviting me.”

“Alright, sounds good,” Jinhwan responded affirmatively. “I’ll talk to you later!”

Bobby said goodbye and hung up with a smile beaming across his face. Junhoe smiled just at the sight of the elder’s face before asking, “What was that about?”

“It was Jinhwan,” Bobby began to explain as the waitress dropped off the check in the middle of the table. “He invited me to a gig this weekend. I just have to get my grandpa to agree to letting me drive to Fairfax for a night. Do you want to come?”

Junhoe’s once bright smile faded to a small frown as he grabbed the check and stuffed a few bills in it. The blue-haired boy sighed, “I wish I could, Bobby; I mean it. But I can’t get too far away from the ocean without my skin burning like crazy. It’s bad enough to have my tattoo burn, but it feels like my body is in flames when I get a few miles outside of Ocean Grove.”

“Oh,” Bobby muttered somberly. “I didn’t even think about that. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t worry about it. It’s easy to forget about,” Junhoe said as he gripped Bobby’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “Will you send me a video of your set though? I’d love to see it.”

The smile that faded on Bobby’s features suddenly reappeared at the younger’s words as he talked, “I sure will. Regardless, I had a great time on our _date_.”

Junhoe groaned as the two got up from their seats, “Don’t push it.”

“I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t push it,” Bobby laughed as the two made their way back out into the cooling breeze of Ocean Grove.

“Fair enough,” Junhoe agreed as they began making their way to the younger’s home just a short walk away.

The two walked in silence, but it felt comforting as the wind from the ocean breathed against their skin with every step. Bobby felt content in those moments. Ocean Grove was calming on its own, but the town felt much more exciting and happy walking beside the younger.

There was nothing like the water in Ocean Grove. It was clear, pristine, and enchanting. But as Bobby looked at the crashing waves that day, he felt a sadness he couldn’t describe. The elder could enjoy it without restraint, but he wasn’t tied to it like Junhoe was. Junhoe was stuck within the invisible walls of this town. Junhoe could never leave and Bobby _had_ to leave in a few short weeks. Bobby felt sick to his stomach for the rest of the day, and it wasn’t because of the cheeseburger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for being a bit late on updating! College is kicking my ass, but I hope you enjoy this update. Thank you SO much for all of your guys' support, comments, and kudos on this story. It means the world because this fic is slowly becoming my baby. Please keep it up if you have the time to leave a comment!


	6. six

Getting Jiwon Senior to loan Bobby his car took nothing more than the promise of working an extra shift the following week. The blonde agreed to it easily enough and was on his way back to Virginia in no time. He spent a good portion of the drive practicing his raps and jamming to some music through his grandpa’s shitty speakers, but it was peaceful to have some time on his own.

After filling up the car’s gas and grabbing a snack about two hours into the drive, Bobby thought calling Junhoe would cure his boredom, so he dialed his number and put him on speaker before pulling out of the gas station and back onto the highway.

“Hello?” Junhoe’s voice rang through the line. “Aren’t you supposed to be driving?”

Bobby chuckled as he took a bite of his donut, “I am driving. I’m bored. What’s up?”

Junhoe laughed softly before responding, “I’m grocery shopping. Do you want me to pick up anything specific?”

Bobby smiled as he heard the pitter patter of Junhoe’s steps along the cement before replying, “That’s a very domestic thing to ask.”

Junhoe made an exchange with one of the sellers before huffing, “You always have to push it, don’t you? Can’t I just be nice and want you to have food that you’ll eat at my house?”

“It’s very sweet,” Bobby commented sincerely as he took a gulp of his tea. “If you could pick up pasta I’ll make it for you this week.”

“Oh yeah,” Junhoe recalled as he continued moving through the aisles of the outdoor market near his house. “I remember you saying you wanted me to try that. I’ll pick some up.”

The remaining hour and a half of Bobby’s drive was spent talking and bickering with Junhoe with some rapping practice in-between to hear the younger’s opinion. It flew by and before he knew it, Bobby was turning into his neighborhood. He smiled at the familiarity of it all as he spoke, “Hey, I’m about to pull into my driveway so I have to go.”

“Oh, okay,” Junhoe said as he situated himself to a comfortable position on his couch. “I hope you have fun. Please don’t forget to record it so I can see it!”

“Yes, dad, I won’t forget to send it to you,” Bobby replied sarcastically as he put his car in park in his driveway.

“I didn’t peg you as having a daddy kink but that’s good to know,” Junhoe smirked through the line.

“Oh, give me a break,” Bobby rolled his eyes as he pulled his keys out of the ignition, stalling slightly so he didn’t have to get off of the phone with Junhoe. “I miss you.”

Junhoe sighed as a smile played onto his features, “I miss you too. Don’t let Hanbin give you any shit.”

“I won’t,” Bobby affirmed as he grabbed his overnight bag and began getting out of the car. “I’ll text you later. Goodbye.”

“Sounds good,” Junhoe confirmed as he stretched his arms out. “Bye.”

Bobby hung up after Junhoe’s last word with a sigh, already missing the comfort of the boy’s voice as he lugged his belongings up his slanted driveway and into his home. His mom was the first to greet him with a large smile and a dozen kisses on his cheeks. The younger smiled widely at his mother’s embrace before moving on to hug his father and then his brother.

There wasn’t much time for Bobby to spend with his family, but he wanted to at least see them before making his way to his show. His mother insisted on cooking him dinner so they could eat as a family, and so they did. 

Bobby’s brother talked about his new job and new girlfriend that he had recently made official, his father talked about a new drawing collection he was working on, while his mother spoke on her troubles and new successes at work. When they asked about the youngest son, Bobby kept it short and sweet. He commented on how good his grandparents’ health was, how beautiful Ocean Grove was, and that he made a friend named Junhoe without all the juicy details (especially the details on his new crush growing a tail when he touches the water).

After a quick dinner and another round of hugs, Bobby was back out of the door and on his way to the venue to practice before the show. Although he was anxious about meeting up with Hanbin, his excitement of seeing his two best friends and having the chance to perform again was more than enough to mask it. Plus, after his long talk with Junhoe and the warm welcome of his family, Bobby felt pretty invincible.

The drive to the venue only took 10 short minutes. Once he arrived, he noted that the venue was a bit dumpy, but it certainly looked like a good underground place to play. It was only grimey due to the amount of young adults running in and out with alcohol racing through their systems. Plus, seeing the small line of people waiting outside only excited Bobby further.

After parking and making his way through the back entrance by claiming he was a performer, he quickly found the group of three backstage. Bobby called out to them and all three immediately snapped their attention to the deep, familiar voice. Smiles erupted onto Yunhyeong and Jinhwan’s face as they swiftly made their way to the younger to engulf him in a hug.

Hanbin stayed in the corner with a small grimace on his face, but Bobby tried not to pay it mind as he wrapped his arms around his friends and greeted them with an equally huge smile. As the three released each other, Jinhwan spoke, “It’s so fucking good to see you. The Ocean Grove sun looks great on you.”

“Yeah, man, how is living with the grandparents?” Yunhyeong questioned as the trio made their way back to where their equipment and Hanbin were.

“It’s actually not too bad,” Bobby began as he took a seat and gave Hanbin a bright smile. The younger scoffed and turned his head the opposite way, but the action didn’t stop the blonde from continuing, “My grandparents basically let me do whatever I want as long as I help them out and put in work at the grocery store. I even made a good friend.”

“Why isn’t he here then?” Hanbin snapped harshly as he brought his attention back to the group.

The tension could be cut with a knife as the two eldest gulped and Bobby searched desperately for an answer. He didn’t bother to create a good enough lie to mention to the others. Hell, he was hoping he’d be able to avoid the subject of Junhoe altogether to avoid discomfort for Hanbin. Bobby thought he was being considerate, but being considerate didn’t seem to be in the younger’s plans.

The blonde cleared his throat, “He actually had a shift tonight and tomorrow in the early afternoon. I asked gramps if he could have it off, but since I took his car he wouldn’t budge. I’m going to record it for him though!” 

“Well that’s nice of you to record it for him,” Jinhwan said too happily in an attempt to move the conversation to anywhere other than Hanbin’s passive-aggressiveness. 

“Likely story,” Hanbin bit back as he picked up a sheet of his lyrics and began running through it in his head. 

“Could you not say something shitty to me for once, Hanbin?” Bobby complained as his eyes widened in anger. “I’ve been out of your hair for nearly a month and the break didn’t do you any good?”

“Who the fuck do you think you are to talk to me like that?” Hanbin spat as he puffed out his chest and made his way closer to his ex.

Jinhwan reached for the youngest immediately and pushed him back gently as Bobby stood to his feet, anger fuming from his forehead and out of his ears, “You know who I am. Don’t play this game with me. Don’t act like you’re big and tough just to get a rise out of me. I’m done fighting with you, Hanbin.”

“Then why the fuck are you trying to test me right now?” Hanbin asked harshly as his eyes scanned over the elder’s body threateningly.

In those moments, Bobby couldn’t believe that he had ever dealt with Hanbin’s moodiness. It seemed that every interaction between the two, whether they were in relationship or not, felt so similar to that one. Hanbin was always upset and Bobby was always attempting to pick up the pieces and put him back together without screaming in frustration and anger. Except it never fit back together because the two were disastrous together, and Bobby couldn’t have been happier that they decided to separate.

“Look, Hanbin,” Bobby finally began as he ran his fingers against his temples. “I don’t want there to be problems between us. The four of us make amazing music together, and that alone should be a good enough reason for all of us to get along, but I can’t do this. I get that you’re mad at me and maybe you’ll always be mad at me, which is fine, but I hope that we can get along long enough for us to perform a kickass show. That’s all I’m asking.”

Other performers buzzed around the group, but all the four could hear was ringing silence as they all awaited Hanbin’s answer. He looked up from his lyrics and sighed, “You’re right. Let’s get to practicing. Sorry.”

Bobby felt like he deserved a much better apology. He was hoping for something cinematic that would erase all of the hardships Hanbin had put him through, for all the long nights trying to keep him together, for all of the fights that left the two in snotty sobs and fists colliding with walls. But a sorry would do. A sorry was good for Hanbin.

Jinhwan and Yunhyeong nodded excitedly in agreement, hoping that Bobby wouldn’t press it any further so they could perform a good show without any underlying tension. Thankfully, the boy with a face full of sharp edges let it go and smiled, “That sounds good. Let’s run through What’s Wrong.”

The once-thick air that surrounded them evaporated once the four began running through their song. It was a perfect mesh of hard, precise raps from Hanbin and Bobby as well as powerful vocals from Jinhwan and Yunhyeong. Listening through the practice made Bobby remember why the four of them worked so well together. They certainly had their fair share of issues, but damn did they make good music.

For the next thirty minutes, they ran through their group songs as well as their individual raps that they would showcase near the end of the performance.The four knew that the likelihood of them getting noticed by anybody substantial in a shitty club in Fairfax was slim to none, but it didn’t change how hard they practiced our how hard they secretly hoped that it still would happen.

Two groups were to perform before them and then Bobby’s team would finish off the show. He was hoping that he’d leave the crowd buzzing with their powerful songs and leave him energized as well. Bobby also secretly hoped that he’d perform well enough and look good enough for the bartenders to ignore the fact that he was a year underage.

Bobby was never really nervous for shows. Of course adrenaline ran through his body as he went over his lines religiously, but performing put him in his element. The only thing that could possibly make the blonde feel better is if his favorite merman was there to see him.

As if on cue, Bobby’s thoughts turned to his buzzing phone and he picked it up to reveal a text message from Junhoe.

 **June:** Good luck tonight! I’m sorry again I couldn’t see it. I don’t get why humans say this, but I think the phrase “break a leg” is appropriate here.

The blonde chuckled lightly at the boy’s attempt at encouragement before shooting a reply back. Although the text was simple, it gave Bobby a lift he desperately needed to ignore the glares Hanbin was still shooting his way.

“Alright boys, you’re on,” the coordinator yelled at Bobby’s team through the chaos and volume of the crowd just behind the curtain.

The four performed their usual pre-show handshake with smiles lighting up their faces before running and jumping onto the stage. Bobby felt alive in those moments with the lights beaming onto his sweaty skin and a microphone sitting in his hand. The crowd cheered wildly as the boys entered the room and they even recognized a few familiar faces from previous shows.

“Are you guys ready to get fucking crazy tonight?” Hanbin screamed into the mic and the crowd cheered in response. 

“Let’s get this party started!” Bobby yelled to the crowd as he enthusiastically jumped. “This song is called Dumb & Dumber; let’s go!”

The show that night was absolutely insane. No matter how wonderful Ocean Grove was, there was nothing quite like becoming one with the music on stage to Bobby. The raps that ran through his veins and out into the microphone were absolutely electric and the blonde could bask in it all day if he had the choice. The only way the experience could’ve been bettered is if Junhoe would’ve been there to see it. So, throughout the performance, he made sure to make plenty of eye contact with the friend who was recording the show near the back of the venue for him to send to Junhoe.

After performing two group songs and snippets from one of each of their solo songs, the boys were a sweaty, adrenaline-buzzed mess. They cheered as they walked off stage and wiped their forehead with towels and took large gulps of water from their bottles backstage. 

“That was fucking sick,” Jinhwan commented once the four of them slumped into the couch near their belongings. “I miss us all performing together.”

“Me too,” Yunhyeong chimed in as he huffed and puffed through his lack of air. “We have to plan a ton of shows once Bobby gets back into town.”

“Definitely,” Bobby agreed as he ruffled his hair between his fingers and took a deep sigh to catch his breath. “How do you guys feel about getting piss drunk now?”

The other three cheered quietly in agreement as they gathered their belongings and snuck their way into the bar area of the venue. Although Jinhwan was legal to purchase drinks, the other three were just shy of 21 and had to be careful despite being the best and most energetic performance on stage that night.

After each of them ordered their desired drinks and a round of shots, the group took a seat at one of the booths and began drinking to their heart’s content. After finishing his shot with a grimace, Bobby spoke, “So, what have I missed in Fairfax? What’s new?”

“Nothing too crazy,” Jinhwan answered as their waitress brought them another round of drinks. “I have two summer classes online that I’ve been busy with, but otherwise I’ve just been making music.”

“Same here, really,” Yunhyeong agreed as he downed his own shot. “I’m not taking classes, but I got a job at the record store downtown that keeps me busy. We miss you though.”

“I’ve been working on music mostly,” Hanbin responded in a very un-Hanbin like friendly tone. “I help my dad around the office when I need some extra cash, but things are pretty good here.”

“I’m glad things are going well this summer, guys. I really do miss you,” Bobby stated sincerely as he took a peek at a pretty girl on the opposite side of the room eyeing Hanbin. The elder smirked as he turned his attention to his ex,” Don’t look now, Bin, but that brunette over there is looking at you with googly eyes.”

“What, really?” Hanbin questioned enthusiastically as he scanned the room for the girl in question. Once the two made eye contact, she waved shyly to him with a small smile on her face. Hanbin finished off the rest of his drink with a large gulp before continuing, “Well, it’s been real boys, but I’m going to go talk to that fine ass girl over there. I’ll see you guys around. Take care, Bobby.”

Bobby smiled at him as the youngest made his way over to the girl and immediately began chatting her up with his arm settled against the bar. Jinhwan interrupted the blonde’s thoughts as he cleared his throat, “Now that he’s gone, you need to tell me about loverboy in Ocean Grove.”

A toothy smile couldn’t help but appear on Bobby’s lips at the mention of Junhoe before he began. He told his best friends about how they met, their first kiss (minus the whole tail situation of course), how often the two were together, and everything in-between that didn’t mention the part about the blue-haired boy being a mythical creature. Bobby felt a bit bad about lying to his friends, but he knew that keeping Junhoe’s secrets was infinitely more important than a few white lies to his friends. The alcohol certainly didn’t hurt either.

The rest of the night was spent drinking, dancing, and laughing about old memories and stories of their summer thus far. Jinhwan and Yunhyeong hadn’t found anyone special, but had their fair amount of flings in the three weeks Bobby was gone, and it seemed that Hanbin was well on his way to his own since he spent the rest of the night dancing alongside the pretty girl who eyed him earlier.

It felt good to be around his friends once again. There was something about the familiarity of their banter, the town, and the energy of performing that felt right to Bobby, but not nearly as good as his bed as he cuddled into it that night after taking a quick shower. He debated not cleaning up at all due to pure exhaustion, but wanted to avoid the scolding his mom would surely give him for dirtying up the sheets.

Just as Bobby was about to drift off to sleep, his phone buzzed with a notification of a new text. A long message was revealed as he lit up his screen.

 **June:** I’m sure you’re sleeping by now and I’m even more sure that you’re going to make fun of me for being a sap after you read this, but that’s okay. I just wanted to say that I realized tonight, now that you’re not here, that I really enjoy having you around. Even though you’re annoying, you’re the best kind of annoying. I can’t wait to see the video and to eat your shitty pasta when you get back. I’ll see you soon, Bobbert. Miss u. 

Bobby audibly giggled with glee as he read through the message. A blush colored his cheeks a light pink as he read and re-read the text over and over again. Although Junhoe was stoic even in his most emotional and romantic moments, Bobby couldn’t help but to think it was so damn charming.

However, as the giddiness of the text subsided, Bobby felt a hint of sadness wash over him. Junhoe said that when he got too far away from the ocean, his skin started to burn like a wildfire. Bobby finally understand what he meant as he laid in bed that night without Junhoe beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this update despite it not having as much Junbob as usual. I promise that next chapter will have some juicy Junbob content to make up for it! Thank you, as always, to all of you who take the time to read, comment, and leave kudos on this story. It really means the world and I am so appreciative <3\. Please leave a comment if you have the time!


	7. seven

Bobby arrived back in Ocean Grove early the next afternoon after having breakfast with his family. Although his visit was quick, he felt energized after seeing his friends, family, having some newfound closure with Hanbin, and being able to perform again. He loved writing music in the comfort of Junhoe’s living room, but there was nothing quite like performing to buzz him to life.

Once he made his way back into his grandparent’s home, he was greeted with a hug from each of his housemates and offered a cup of coffee and a banana. He began nibbling and sipping gratefully as the three of them took a seat around the dining room table.

“So, how was your visit?” his grandmother asked with a smile softening her features.

“It was great,” Bobby replied as he took another sip of his coffee. “We had a great show. I missed you guys though.”

“I think you mean you missed Junhoe,” Jiwon Senior smirked from behind his coffee mug.

A light pink flushed the blonde’s cheeks as he responded, “Well, yeah I missed him. But I missed you guys too!”

“What exactly is going on between you two?” Bobby’s grandmother pried, curiosity apparent in her eyes. “We love that you have such a good influence, but you two are always together. If you’re not working with each other, you’re at his house.”

“I don’t really know,” Bobby shrugged. “We just like hanging out.”

“ _And_ sucking face in the break room,” Jiwon Senior chided back with a light chuckle.

Bobby blushed a deep red as he rubbed his temples and groaned, “Gramps, please don’t.”

“Bob, I don’t care what you do with Junhoe, but if you’re going to do it at the grocery store, I’m definitely going to say something about it,” the elder man playfully teased.

“Noted,” Bobby sighed as he finished the last of his coffee and stretched. 

The younger’s attention went to his phone as he felt it buzz within his pocket. As he grabbed it and pulled it out of his jeans, he noticed a new message.

**June:** Are you back yet? Do you want to come over?

Bobby smiled at his phone before typing back a speedy reply and looking back up at his grandparents, “Do you guys mind if I go to June’s? He just texted me.”

His grandparents shared a knowing, teasing glance at one another before Jiwon Senior talked, “You guys are at a nickname basis now? It’s getting serious.”

“Leave the poor boy alone,” the elderly woman said as she laid a quick smack against her husband’s arm and then turned her attention to her grandson, “Yes, you can go to Junhoe’s. If you end up staying the night there, please let us know, okay?”

“Of course,” Bobby replied with a smile as he got up from his seat to plant a kiss on his grandmother’s cheek. He then gave his grandfather a hug before making his way back out of the door, his overnight bag still unpacked and leaned against the staircase. 

The walk to Junhoe’s was always beautiful, particularly on that Saturday afternoon. The merman’s house was closer to the beach than Bobby’s, so as he made his way down the sloped concrete, the blonde had a perfect view of the sun creating sparkles on the water near the beach. Ocean Grove was a type of beauty Bobby just couldn’t get in his hometown.

Within a few minutes, Bobby was in front of Junhoe’s house, so he made his way inside, ignoring knocking so he could get to the younger sooner. When Bobby entered the small house, he turned his head to find Junhoe sprawled across the couch.

The elder’s smile beamed off of his face as he locked the door behind him and made his way quickly to the couch. Bobby jumped lightly onto the younger and snuggled into the tight space of the couch to get as close as he could to Junhoe.

“Ew, get off of me,” Junhoe groaned, but his actions spoke differently. The blue-haired boy wrapped his arm around the elder so Bobby could rest his head against his shoulder more comfortably. 

“I missed you,” Bobby cooed as he cuddled his head further into Junhoe and wrapped his arm around the younger’s waist.

Junhoe sighed but placed his hand on the elder’s nonetheless, “I missed you too. Now, let me see that video of performing! I’ve waited long enough.”

“Alright, alright,” Bobby responded as he dug his phone out of his pocket with some difficulty and began scrolling through to find the video.

As Bobby continued searching, Junhoe stiffened a bit and asked, “So, how did it go with Hanbin?”

Bobby looked up at the younger with a smirk, “Am I sensing some jealousy, June?”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Junhoe huffed as he tightened his grip on the elder. “I just want to know if the little shit gave you trouble.”

“We fought a little bit, but we actually got some closure,” Bobby admitted honestly as he clicked on the video from the performance. “I ended up damn near hooking him up with a girl at the bar.”

“Oh, really?” Junhoe asked curiously and Bobby nodded in response. “I guess that’s good. I’m really, really sorry I couldn’t go. You know I would’ve given him hell if there was a problem. I promise I would’ve gone if I could.”

“If you give me a really good reaction to this video then I’ll forgive you,” Bobby said playfully as he kissed the younger’s cheek and hit play on the video, making sure to place his phone well above them both so Junhoe could see properly.

The blue-haired boy smiled throughout the video, making sure to be an active participant throughout and to point out his favorite parts. Smiles were on both of their faces as they watched, but there was a deep level of sadness that was felt but not mentioned between the two of them.

Bobby wasn’t at all upset with Junhoe. The blonde knew that his inability to come to his show was completely out of the younger’s control, but it didn’t burn any less. Bobby had never felt such a wholesome happiness that he did when he was around Junhoe, but the idea of him never being able to leave the borders of Ocean Grove terrified him. Some day soon, both of the boys would have to leave the town. There was no exception.

The elder was pulled from his thoughts once Junhoe cheered at the end of the video, completely unaware of Bobby’s internal battle, “That was fucking phenomenal! I completely get why you perform. It’s like the music moves through you. You’re amazing!”

Junhoe kissed the elder’s forehead in excitement as Bobby smiled softly and put his phone on the coffee table beside them. He muttered a thank you as he pulled Junhoe closer to him and found a way to snuggle deeper into the comfort of the merman’s embrace.

The younger softened at the action and followed suit by squeezing Bobby comfortingly, “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

Bobby didn’t answer at first. Instead, he grabbed Junhoe’s wrist and pulled down the sleeve of his sweatshirt to reveal the familiar seashell tattoo. The younger looked at the blonde curiously as Bobby traced his fingers lightly against the ink.

“These little lines are going to keep you from me,” Bobby said solemnly as he continued to trace the outline of the seashell with his fingertips. “It going to keep us from ever being together.”

“Oh, Bobby,” Junhoe sighed as a frown fell onto his lips. The younger began rubbing his fingers comfortingly over Bobby’s arm as he continued, “We’re together now. Let’s focus on that, okay? Thinking about when you leave or when I leave isn’t going to do anything.”

“But doesn’t it bother you?” Bobby questioned as his voice raised in volume. He perked his head off of Junhoe’s shoulder as he continued, “Doesn’t it bother you that one day this is all going to end? Even if you remain human once I leave, you won’t be able to visit me. I’ll go back to school and I won’t have a lot of time to run back and forth to Ocean Grove. And what the fuck is going to happen when you go back to the ocean? We won’t be able to talk to each other. We may never see each other again.”

Tears started slowly rolling down Bobby’s cheeks at that point and Junhoe immediately sat up with him to rub the tears away with his thumbs, “We can’t think like that right now. We’ll find a way, I promise. I can’t lose you.”

Junhoe’s eyes pricked with tears as well as Bobby sighed, “I can’t lose you either.”

Now sitting up, the pair pulled each other close until their legs were wrapped within each other’s. They remained in silence as Junhoe laid his head against Bobby and began planting soft kisses against his shoulder blade. 

A somber smile played onto Bobby’s features as Junhoe did so, basking in the feeling of the younger so close to him. Even if all of those beautiful moments could disappear in a snap of their fingers, Bobby couldn’t help but feel entirely at home and at peace within Junhoe’s embrace. It felt too breathtaking to worry about what was going to happen to them.

Bobby put his pointer finger under the merman’s chin and lifted his face until it was right in front of his own. They stared at each other with intensity and love and longing for a few moments before the elder got the courage to cup Junhoe’s cheeks within his palms and pull him into a kiss.

They had kissed dozens of times before. Along the sand of the beach, in the break room of Jiwon’s, on that very couch were all places that they’d spent minutes upon minutes letting their lips meld into one, but something felt intimately different about this kiss. There was more hunger and desperation and fear of the unknown future that could explode before them at any moment.

After a few minutes of their lips melding against each other’s in slow, passionate movements, Junhoe finally pulled away to talk, “I want to be yours. All yours.”

“I want to be yours too,” Bobby breathed against Junhoe’s lips, his hands still caressing the younger’s face.

“Then come with me,” the blue-haired boy growled against Bobby’s lips as he stood up, grabbed the elder by the shirt, and began dragging him to his bedroom. 

Bobby licked his lips before attaching them back to Junhoe’s as he was continually pulled down the hallway. This time, the kisses were rougher and sloppier, but it’s just how they both liked it.

Once they reached the bedroom, Junhoe pulled the elder onto the bed so he was beneath Bobby. As they crashed against the sheets, Bobby pushed his tongue against Junhoe’s lips until he moaned and opened his mouth for access.

It was immediately a fight for dominance. Bobby licked around Junhoe’s mouth as the younger sucked and flicked against the elder’s tongue. The room was filled with the mix of their deep moans even before either of them rid themselves of any clothes.

Impatiently, Bobby removed his lips from Junhoe’s to trail them down his chin and to his neck. He nipped, licked, and kissed bruises into the younger’s neck, making sure to bite at the sweetest spots along the younger to elicit the filthiest and most beautiful whimpers.

“Let’s get this off of you,” Bobby mumbled seductively into Junhoe’s neck as he played with the fabric of the merman’s sweatshirt. The younger nodded enthusiastically, desperate for any touch from Bobby that he could get as the elder gently pushed the fabric off, revealing the smooth expanse of his chest and abdomen. Bobby growled as he latched his lips to Junhoe’s collarbones, “You’re fucking gorgeous, June.”

“Shush,” Junhoe breathed out a laugh that quickly faded as Bobby trailed his tongue down to his nipple. The younger moaned as the blonde flicked against one of his nipples and brought his fingers up to play with the neglected one. Junhoe sucked in a breath, “Fuck, that feels good.”

“You like that?” Bobby smirked as he locked eyes with his lover with his lips still hovering over the nipple.

Junhoe bit his lip as Bobby moved his lips to the other bud, which elicited another small whimper from the younger. The blue-haired boy nodded furiously in agreement as he interlocked his fingers into Bobby’s hair and bit his lip at the sight of him kissing and licking against him.

After a few moments of sucking and licking, Bobby stuck out his tongue and dragged it down the younger’s chest and down his abdomen until he reached Junhoe’s pants. He left teasing kisses just above the line of his underwear as he looked up at the younger to gauge his reaction.

Junhoe was completely blissed out already. His lids were hooded and lustful as he lovingly looked down at Bobby. In a hint of bravery, the elder began unbuttoning the younger’s pants and slipping them off as he kissed against the lean muscles of Junhoe’s stomach, which left him in just his boxer briefs. He was already leaking and unbelievably hard underneath the thin fabric that looked as if it would burst at any moment.

“Come here,” Junhoe groaned as he grabbed Bobby’s neck and pulled him back to his face. The elder obliged as the merman immediately began kissing him and pushing him off until the younger was on top, never disconnecting their lips.

Junhoe didn’t waste any time in pulling off the elder’s shirt and discarding it in the corner of his room and latching his lips onto Bobby’s neck. The blonde licked his lips seductively as Junhoe sloppily kissed along the expanse of his neck and ears before making his way down to his nipples.

Bobby let out a small groan of approval as Junhoe flicked his tongue against the buds and rubbed his hands up and down his defined abs. The younger teased him by brushing his fingers right under the line of his underwear, which made Bobby hitch his breath in pleasure.

“You’re so god damn stunning,” Junhoe moaned as he removed his mouth from Bobby’s nipples to lick them. “I can’t fucking take it.”

The elder hummed happily as Junhoe began unbuttoning his jeans and pulled them off of him in a flash, exposing just how hard he was underneath the fabric of his boxers. Junhoe growled at the sight as he moved his face back up to Bobby’s to continue to hungrily kiss one another.

Bobby locked his fingers in Junhoe’s hair as their lips continued to move against each other in sloppy but delicious strokes. Too horny to second guess himself, Junhoe began grinding his clothed erection against Bobby’s as they kissed, which made each of them let out a delighted groan.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” Bobby sighed in-between kisses before he bit and pulled at Junhoe’s bottom lip.

The younger moaned as he continued to grind against the blonde, which made both of their bodies tingle with electricity and desire. Because Bobby couldn’t take the pleasure anymore, he pushed Junhoe off of him and back onto the bed so he could get back where he belonged: on top.

In Bobby’s short absence, Junhoe whined with need and desire as his hips rutted up in need of friction. The elder bit his lip and chuckled, “Eager there, baby?”

Junhoe whined in response as Bobby pecked his lips before mouthing small kisses down his body until he reached the younger’s boxers. The merman’s breath hitched violently as Bobby licked a stripe against his erection through his underwear.

Pleased with his reaction, Bobby continued mouthing at Junhoe’s length through the fabric until the younger was practically thrashing around with need and the elder was loving every second of it. He loved breaking Junhoe down to that vulnerable state. It was emotional, it was exhilarating, it was fucking _hot._

“B-Bobby, please, I need more” Junhoe whined as he knotted his hands in the elder’s hair. “There’s lube in the drawer of the bedside table.”

Bobby smiled cheekily at his lover’s eagerness as he removed his lips from his length and reached for the lube, “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll take care of you.”

Junhoe’s eyebrows scrunched together as he whimpered at the words and Bobby swore he had never seen a hotter sight. As the blonde poured a gracious amount of lube on his fingers and began removing the younger’s underwear, he spoke, “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”

The younger’s cock bounced lightly against his stomach as it was released from its restraints. His length was already red, leaking, and absolutely huge. Bobby wondered how a merman could be that hung and still hide it within his tail. 

Before he could go too in-depth about it, Bobby began rubbing his pointer finger gently against Junhoe’s hole to prepare him before pushing it all the way in. Junhoe’s eyes screwed tightly shut at the intrusion, but his face quickly contorted into pleasure as Bobby pushed in and out.

The elder was unbelievably gentle with Junhoe. Only when the blue-haired boy was ready for another finger did Bobby push it in. He wanted nothing more than for Junhoe to love every second of the experience with as little pain as possible. And by the moans and whimpers that kept slipping through Junhoe’s lips, it seemed as though Bobby was doing a damn good job.

After four of Bobby’s fingers began scissoring in and out of Junhoe’s ass, he whined, “Alright, I’m ready. Please fuck me, Bobby, I can’t fucking take it anymore.

Bobby smirked as he pulled his underwear off and Junhoe gasped at the size. Cockily, Bobby poured lube onto his erection and rubbed it until it was properly wet alongside the precum. As the elder lined up with Junhoe, he immediately remembered something important, “Wait, do you want to use a condom?”

“Not unless you do,” Junhoe replied between excited, deep breaths. He placed his palm against Bobby’s neck until his body was flush against his own. “I want to feel you. All of you.”

The elder growled as he lined up with his lover once again, their bodies still sweaty and slick against one another’s as Bobby pushed his length in inch by delicious inch. Each of the boys moaned obscenely at the feeling. Bobby was filling up Junhoe unbelievably and the tightness around the elder’s cock was driving him insane and he hadn’t even moved yet.

They stayed still like this for a few moments, panting heavily with their foreheads connected as they both tried to adjust. Junhoe gulped, “I’m okay. You can move.”

Bobby licked his lips and nodded before slowly dragging his cock out and then pushing harshly back in. Junhoe moaned at the feeling as his body twitched underneath the elder. It didn’t take long before Bobby picked up the speed, falling into a steady rhythm as their heavy breaths hit each other’s faces.

They had barely begun and it was already way too much for the pair. Their bodies slick and sweaty against each other, each of their hot breaths hitting against one another’s lips, the feeling of tightness and being filled to the brim was driving them both insane.

It wasn’t long before Bobby picked up the speed more, slamming into Junhoe hard and fast enough to make the bed shake against the wall behind it. The elder latched his lips onto Junhoe’s neck as he continued to pound into him, the sound of his balls and hips hitting against the younger filling the room.

Junhoe dragged his blunt nails down the blonde’s back, surely leaving thick, red marks down the golden skin as Bobby continued to fuck him at an ungodly place. It only took a few minutes for Bobby to hit the absolutely perfect spot on the younger, which made him cry out and moan into his neck, “Fuck, Bobby, right fucking there!”

Bobby bit his lip at Junhoe’s ass clenching onto his cock as he continued to drill into him in the exact spot he needed him most. Junhoe was seeing stars at that point, his palms gripping tightly onto the elder’s biceps as the elder lifted his body off of his to get a better angle.

Junhoe was a mewling mess at this point, his mouth forming growls, whimpers, whines, and moans every couple of thrusts. His eyes were completely trained on Bobby, on the muscles across the expanse of his body that flexed with every delicious thrust.

“Baby, please touch yourself for me, I’m so close,” Bobby groaned as his eyebrows knitted together in red-hot pleasure. He was trying his best to not cum before the younger, but it was getting increasingly difficult with each clench of Junhoe’s hole. The younger immediately followed his demands as he snaked one of his hands off of the blonde’s arm to wrap around his leaking length. Bobby moaned at the sight, “Fuck yes, you look so fucking hot. Play with yourself just for me.”

Junhoe moaned at the dirty talk as he matched his palm’s pace to Bobby’s quick, calculated thrusts. It didn’t take long with the combination of pleasure for Junhoe to get on the brink of orgasm, “Fuck baby, fuck me just like that. Your big cock feels so fucking good.”

Bobby mewled at the words as he locked eyes with Junhoe, his peripheral vision still catching the quick movements of the younger’s hand on his erection. The room felt like it was on fire as the elder continued fucking him. Everything was hot and dark and so pleasurable neither of them could see straight.

“Oh my god, I’m going to cum,” Junhoe finally said as his eyebrows scrunched together, his eyes still locked on his lover. As Bobby bit his lip at the sight, Junhoe cried out, “Your cock is so fucking good, Bobby. Fuck, fuck, FUCK!”

With that, Junhoe’s orgasm spurted out of his cock. The younger moaned and whimpered and screamed as he continued to stroke his length until white covered his abdomen as well as Bobby’s. The elder had never seen anything hotter in his entire life. 

“Oh, fuck yes baby,” Bobby whined as his orgasm hit him like a tsunami. His whines turned to full-on groans as he emptied his load into Junhoe’s ass, each thrust pushing it deeper and deeper into the younger’s hole. Bobby gripped onto the younger’s arms as he released every drop of cum into his ass.

After they both were finished, their cocks limp and their panting heavy, Bobby pulled out with a whine and flopped onto the bed. Junhoe whined alongside him at the loss of contact and his body spasmed with the aftershocks of his orgasm as the blonde pulled him to his chest to kiss his forehead.

Junhoe smiled at the contact before pulling away to grab tissues from his bedside table to wipe the both of them off. Bobby smiled graciously as they wiped Junhoe’s release off of their abdomens and Junhoe placed the tissues back on the table.

“You’re just going to leave them there?” Bobby questioned curiously at the action.

“You’re not the one who’s ass just got assaulted,” Junhoe complained playfully as he cuddled back into Bobby’s embrace. “If anybody’s going to get up to throw them away, it’s you.”

“Fair enough,” the blonde chuckled as he pulled Junhoe into his chest to place gentle kisses on the top of his head. As he pecked along the blue hair, Bobby continued, “That was better than I could’ve ever imagined.”

Junhoe blushed as he buried his fae into the elder’s chest, “It was amazing. Thank you.”

“I think that’s the first time you’ve ever thanked me for anything,” Bobby commented as he began rubbing soothing circles into Junhoe’s back with his fingertips.

The merman groaned, “Don’t ruin the moment.”

“Okay, you’re right, I’m sorry,” the elder quickly replied with a smile as he nuzzled his head on top of Junhoe’s. “But I just have to say, no matter what happens, I wouldn’t want to be with anybody else right now.”

A soft smile graced Junhoe’s features before he responded, “I agree. No matter what happens, I wouldn’t want this any other way.”

Bobby smiled at that as he gently pushed the younger’s head up until they were staring wide-eyed at each other. With intensity, Bobby pushed his lips against Junhoe’s one final time in a loving kiss. With their legs tangled together, their bodies tired and in post-orgasmic bliss, their lips soft and gentle against one another’s, Bobby swore he’d never be more happy than he was in that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the confusion of the last chapter. AO3 cut out a HUGE chunk of this chapter, so I thought deleting it and re-uploading it was for the best. I hope you guys re-read and the sequence of events actually makes sense this time around. I'm so sorry for the confusion and I hope you guys now enjoy the chapter in full! Thank you so much for all the comments, love, and kudos you all give to this story, I really am grateful. Please leave a comment if you have time <3.


	8. eight

The next few days went by in a blur to Bobby. Since he promised extra hours in exchange for his overnight trip to Fairfax, Bobby spent a lot of time at _Jiwon’s_ that week. Thankfully, Junhoe worked with him most of those days, which made the shifts much more bearable. On the days that the younger didn’t work, he brought in lunch for Bobby as an excuse to see him. Of course Jiwon Senior gave them some shit for that, but the boys were too hopelessly crushing on one another to pay mind to their teasing boss and co-workers.

Bobby’s grandfather gave them both the day off that Friday with a wink, claiming that they should have a date night instead of doing most of their romancing in the break room of the grocery store. The boys agreed readily enough to a beach date instead of a Friday night of stocking shelves and cashing out groceries.

They walked to the beach hand in hand that evening, making small talk with a few of their neighbors along the way. At that point, almost the whole neighborhood knew about the pair’s little love affair. Since Jiwon Senior had a big mouth and the town was pretty small, word certainly traveled fast. The duo didn’t mind though. They were too focused on one another to worry about whether or not people were gossiping about them.

Once they arrived, they surveyed the beach to make sure the crowd was small enough for them to swim. The sand was mostly empty except for a few families who still lingered after a hot, sunny day. Thankfully, the boys managed to sneak away to the secluded area of the beach usually inhabited by adolescents without being seen by anybody.

“I’m so excited to finally swim with you,” Bobby admitted as they made their way to the dock.

“Me too,” Junhoe agreed as he began ridding himself of his clothes to reveal beautiful golden skin that Bobby just couldn’t get enough of. “I think you’re going to like how fast I can go.”

“Bragging already, huh?” Bobby smirked as he followed the younger’s actions and began taking off his own clothes.

“Who would I be if I didn’t?” the blue-haired boy teased as he pecked Bobby’s lips lovingly.

Bobby returned the kiss with a smile as he responded, “Not you, that’s for sure.”

Junhoe winked at the elder before diving gracefully in the water, which was followed by a large splash around him. Bobby watched in amazement as his lover’s golden legs turned into blue scales right before his eyes. The once two limbs melded swiftly into one as the younger zoomed through the water with newfound speed.

Bobby grinned at him silently, enjoying the sight of Junhoe smiling and swimming in his most natural and comfortable state. There was no doubt that the blue-haired boy was handsome in and out of the water, but there was something especially glowing about Junhoe as he whipped through the water with a lust for speed.

Junhoe’s smooth voice snapped the elder out of his trance, “Are you getting in or what?”

Bobby smiled as he began stripping down to his underwear, “I won’t be able to swim as fast as you, but I’m coming!”

The elder splashed into the water shortly after his lover, but not nearly as gracefully or swiftly. Junhoe was quick to swim over to him and pull him into his arms though. Bobby followed suit and wrapped his arms around the younger for a moment before jumping back at the feeling of slimy scales rubbing against his legs.

“It feels just like a fish!” Bobby commented in surprise as he moved back towards the younger once the surprise settled.

“Well, what else were you expecting?” Junhoe chuckled as he shook his head playfully. “Do you want to touch it?”

“Y-yeah, I do,” Bobby replied sincerely. Even though the elder was still trying to let the oddest side of Junhoe fully sink into his system, he wanted to try. He wanted to know every part of him, including his tail that was much slimier than Bobby had envisioned.

Junhoe rolled onto his back and pulled the tip of his tail out of the water for Bobby to touch. The elder looked at it quizzically, unsure of what to do or where to touch that was appropriate and comfortable for the blue-haired boy. The younger nodded towards it in encouragement as Bobby put his hands out and gently touched against the fin and scales.

They spent a few moments like that; Bobby taking in the new and unique feeling of Junhoe’s tail as the younger smiled and allowed him to touch up the expanse of his scales. The blonde asked, “Does it feel different when I touch you like this versus when I touch your legs?”

“It feels the same,” Junhoe answered with a shrug as he continued to float on the water. “This feels more intimate though.”

“Hm, really?” Bobby questioned as his eyebrows scrunched together in curiosity. “How so?”

“I guess it’s because this is who I really am,” the younger pondered aloud as Bobby trailed his hands further up until his fingertips traced all the way up his chest and neck until he wrapped his arms around the younger’s neck. Junhoe smiled softly as he continued, “I guess a part of me always thought you’d hate this side of me because it’s what’s going to keep me from you. I’m glad that you’re open to see this.”

“Of course I am,” Bobby said as he nuzzled into Junhoe’s neck, still treading the water gently. “Yes, this will eventually pull us apart, but this is who you are in your most genuine form. How could I hate who you are?”

“I’m still thankful,” Junhoe smiled into Bobby’s blonde, wet hair and placed a kiss there before responding. “So, do you want to go for a swim?”

Bobby nodded enthusiastically in response as Junhoe grabbed the elder’s arms and wrapped them around his neck while Bobby settled onto Junhoe’s back. The blonde latched on tightly, scared to discover just how fast his lover could go in the water. Junhoe squeezed Bobby’s hands comfortingly before speaking, “Hold on tight and if you need to go up for air, tap on my neck, okay?”

“O-Okay babe,” Bobby responded nervously. 

“Don’t be scared. I promise I won’t let you get hurt,” the younger encouraged and Bobby kissed the back of his head in response. Junhoe smiled as he stretched out his tail and said his final words, “Alright, here we go!”

And with that, the two jetted off into the ocean. The rush of cool water hitting Bobby’s face was always refreshing, but never quite like this. The speed at which the two raced and romped through the water was unbelievable. An array of fish, sharks, sea slugs, and every creature in-between flashed before Bobby’s eyes as Junhoe raced through the water, his tail flapping up and down at an ungodly speed. The elder had seen scenery like that in marine biology documentaries he used to watch with his grandfather, but nothing could ever compare to those moments underwater seeing it with his own two eyes.

They continued going in and out of the water for a few minutes, making sure to go up for air every 30 seconds so Bobby wouldn’t be out of breath. It was breathtaking in every way Bobby could imagine. He fully understood then why Junhoe so desperately missed the ocean and his tail when he moved so sluggishly on land in comparison.

After a few dives under of Junhoe racing along the water and pointing out interesting artifacts and animals along the way, the two took an extra long break so Bobby could catch his breath properly. In-between his panting, Bobby talked, “June, this shit is amazing.”

Junhoe replied with a smile and red cheeks, “It is. I miss it so fucking much sometimes.”

“I can’t imagine getting a taste of this and then having to walk on legs,” Bobby commented as he wrapped his arms around the younger’s neck for support, his breathing finally catching back up to speed. 

“Yeah, walking fucking sucks,” Junhoe chuckled into the blonde’s neck as he wrapped his arms around Bobby’s torso. “But I met you. And walking on shitty legs is more than worth it for that alone.”

“Are you turning into a sap, Goo Junhoe?” Bobby smirked at the blue-haired boy once he lifted his head off of Junhoe’s shoulder.

“Don’t push your luck,” Junhoe rolled his eyes playfully with a wink before continuing. “Alright, are you ready to head back to the dock?”

“I am,” Bobby agreed as he pecked Junhoe on the cheek.

The younger smiled into the kiss as Bobby once again wrapped his arms around his lover’s neck. Junhoe swam off with incredible speed as they made their way back to the dock. Bobby let himself relax on that final trip through the water, his eyes closed as the water jetted against his skin in calming but swift waves.

However, the next time the two went up for air, something felt very different. The animals that once swam peacefully beside the two grew frightened and ran in the opposite direction the two were heading. Bobby looked at them race off curiously as he asked, “What’s going on?”

Junhoe didn’t respond; he only continued to look in the direction of the dock that still seemed so far away. Bobby turned his head to stare at what the younger was so intrigued by to find an enormous patch of water that was glowing and in a much lighter shade of blue than the rest of the water.

“Whoa! What is that?” Bobby questioned as he pointed at the direction of the light.

“Ow, fuck!” Junhoe said, completely ignoring the elder’s question as Bobby hopped off of his back to tread water on his own.

“What’s wrong?” Bobby asked as he turned to face his lover whose features were scrunched up in pain. Junhoe didn’t respond, only brought his arm up to reveal his tattoo burning bright red. The elder’s eyes widened in concern as he continued, “Does it hurt? What’s happening?”

“You’ve gotta go, Bobby,” Junhoe responded in a harsh voice, his pain shielding his usual honey-like vocals. “I’m going to take you as close to the dock as I can, and then you have to stay out of the water.”

“Wait, what are you going to do? I’m not going to leave you in pain like this!” the elder protested.

“This is not the time to argue!” Junhoe yelled as the glowing ring of water continued to grow. “I have to make sure you’re safe, okay? That’s what matters right now.”

“But what’s going to happen to you?” Bobby asked, his voice now frantic as he tried to figure out the severity of the situation. 

The younger let out a yelp of pain as the red lines from his tattoo began to spread from the seashell up his arms. Bobby reached for it instinctively, hoping that he could figure anything out that would alleviate the pain but Junhoe pushed it away, his mind too caught up in agony to worry about the elder’s feelings.

“Just hold on to me like your life depends on it,” Junhoe barked as Bobby stiffened and followed his orders, too frightened to disobey the younger in a situation that seemed as severe as that.

Bobby sucked in a breath just before Junhoe hit the water and began swimming at newfound speed. The water hitting against their skin was now painful, but Bobby didn’t dare comment as he watched the glowing water grow deeper and wider with every passing moment.

They hit the dock in less than a minute with Junhoe’s swiftness. As they resurfaced, both gasping for air, Junhoe spoke, “No matter what you do, don’t go back into the water. Promise me.”

“Junh-” Bobby began before Junhoe howled in pain again, the red lines from the tattoo now trailing up his neck.

“Promise me, Bobby!” the younger yelled sternly, his body beginning to shake in pain.

“I promise,” Bobby responded sheepishly as fear flooded his system. He didn’t know what was happening or how to fix it and nothing terrified him more than losing Junhoe.

The blue-haired boy cupped his lover’s face in his hands, gave him a world-altering kiss, and swam away. Bobby pulled himself up on the dock through the shock of the intensity of the kiss and watched Junhoe swim directly into the glowing, swirling section of water.

“Junhoe, no!” the blonde screamed, but it fell on deaf ears. Before Bobby had any chance to stop him, the younger went head first into the glowing water.

The elder ran off the dock and onto the sand, racing up and down the small section of beach to see if he could get a better look at Junhoe, but with no luck. Panic was settling into his system at that point as questions raced through his head. What the hell was Junhoe thinking? Why was he in so much pain? Why did every creature swim away from the glowing water but his lover ran right into it?

More fear raced through his body as the glowing section of water began to diminish in size until it slowly evaporated. Bobby’s heart stopped in his chest as he realized Junhoe was nowhere to be found. He called his name in increasing volume, but the boy was gone and so was every creature that once swam beside them.

Bobby fell to his knees at the weight of his sadness as sobs began to wretch out of his body. He knew that the day Junhoe would leave was nearing closer every day, but he didn’t expect it to happen like that. There were no proper goodbyes, no explanations, no answers as to why he had to go or why he was in so much pain.

The blonde felt utterly lost in those moments. All of the unbelievably happy days he had spent with Junhoe in the last few weeks felt meaningless then. He was gone. Junhoe was gone and he was never coming back.

Tears continued to stream down Bobby’s cheeks like a waterfall as he accepted defeat and began picking up both his and Junhoe’s belongings. The elder dried off with his own clothes and put on Junhoe’s for comfort. He smiled at the smell of Junhoe’s cologne wrapped around him in the hoodie as he opened the younger’s phone to reveal a selfie of the two of them as his wallpaper.

The blonde decided to sit on the beach for a while. He was too emotional to go home and was certainly too sad to so much as pass Junhoe’s house, so he thought that watching the sunset along the prettiest part of the beach was his best option. He’d be lying if part of it wasn’t in hope that his lover would pop out of the waves and come hold him again. 

Bobby must’ve been there for forty minutes on his own. He kept his phone on silent, ignoring his grandparent’s calls asking where he was and his friend’s conversational texts in favor of watching the sun turn pink and orange as it faded against the waves. The blonde let tears fall every few moments as he watched in hopes that Junhoe would peak out from the waves near the dock.

As the tears finally began to fade into a small drizzle, Bobby stood up with a sigh and wrapped his and Junhoe’s belongings in the crease of his elbow and began walking towards home. Just as he was about to reach the more popular section of the beach, he heard a splash sound from near the dock. 

Bobby immediately perked up and turned his attention towards the last place he had seen the blue-haired boy and gasped in shock at the sight because there Junhoe was. His scales turned to golden legs again once he crashed against the dock. The elder immediately began running towards him as Junhoe panted against the dock, too exhausted to sit up.

Once Bobby reached the younger, he turned Junhoe over onto his back to smother his face in kisses. His cheeks, his nose, his eyelids, his forehead, his lips were littered with pecks in-between his heavy breathing and he cracked a weak smile at the elder’s actions.

“Baby, I thought I lost you,” Bobby cried as he gave Junhoe’s lips one last peck in favor of gripping tightly onto his soaking hands. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m alright now,” Junhoe grunted as he lifted himself into a sitting position with wobbly arms. He gripped onto the elder for support as he sighed. “That glowing water was President Neptune calling me. I didn’t mean to push you away, but he was burning my skin so I wouldn’t try to escape with you. It was urgent.”

“Well, what did he say?” Bobby prodded curiously as he rubbed soothing circles onto Junhoe’s hands.

Junhoe looked away sheepishly as water dripped off of his hair. He sighed and pushed his blue locks off of his forehead before replying, “He said my mission is almost complete. I have to go back to the ocean permanently in seven days.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay first things first: I'm sorry for the late update. Finals week is approaching quickly, so I apologize if updates are a little sporadic until the second week of May. Also, if you guys didn't see, I had to repost chapter seven because a huge chunk of it got deleted the first time I posted it. It is now in it's full form if you guys were confused about the series of events being messed up before it was reposted. Now that that's out of the way, I have to apologize again for the angst. I'm so happy writing fluffy Junbob, but this part of the story was inevitable. I hope you all enjoy this chapter regardless of the angst! As always, I am so thankful for the wonderful comments, kudos, and love you all give to this story that I love so much. Please, if you have the time, leave a comment!


	9. nine

-:¦:--:¦:-With 7 Days Remaining-:¦:--:¦:-

Both of the boys remained silent on the walk back to Junhoe’s house after the incident. The only sound that could be heard under the night sky of Ocean Grove was the slight pitter-patter of rain and the couple’s soft footsteps against the sidewalk. Bobby kept his arm securely around the younger’s waist for support for the entirety of the journey as Junhoe walked on still-wobbly legs.

Once they arrived, Junhoe plopped onto the couch and the blonde immediately grabbed a blanket from the adjacent chair to wrap around the younger’s shivering body. The blue-haired boy gave a small smile in thanks as Bobby went to the kitchen to make coffee for the both of them.

After a few minutes of futzing around the kitchen and putting in the perfect amount of coffee and creamer into the duo’s favorite mugs, the elder walked back into the living room to hand Junhoe his drink and begin sipping on his own. Junhoe kissed Bobby’s cheek softly in thanks as he set his mug down and leaned against the elder’s shoulder weakly.

The blonde sighed as he set down his own mug and leaned his back against the arm of the couch. Junhoe wasted no time in following the elder’s movements and found himself leaning his head against the warmth of Bobby’s chest. The elder kissed the blue locks of Junhoe’s hair in response as he began running soothing circles with his fingertips against his back.

They stayed in silence like that for a few more minutes; simply basking in the warmth and comfort of each other’s bodies (something they would be without in just seven short days). Junhoe trailed his fingers gently up and down Bobby’s hips and chest as the blonde ran his fingers through blue strands.

Junhoe was the first to break the eerie quietness after landing a peck on Bobby’s chin, “Kiss me.”

And so Bobby did. The elder grabbed Junhoe’s cheeks firmly within his hands and pulled him to his mouth, letting their lips get tangled in all of the emotion they both had pent up for the last few hours. Hell, even the emotions that had been building up since the moment Bobby realized that Junhoe would eventually have to leave for good.

They kissed for a few minutes, letting electricity bounce between them as their lips melded together again and again in a rhythm that wavered like the ocean. Once they finally let go, panting heavily, Junhoe let his head rest against Bobby’s chest once again.

Bobby sighed, “What are we going to do, Junhoe?”

The younger cuddled even closer into Bobby as he whispered, “Baby, I don’t know.”

-:¦:--:¦:-With 6 Days Remaining-:¦:--:¦:-

Bobby woke up the next morning as sore as can be. They had ended up falling asleep on the couch the night before, so Junhoe was still lying heavily against most parts of the elder’s body. He shuffled around as best as he could to get out from underneath Junhoe without disturbing him much and Bobby somehow made it happen successfully. Most of the time the blonde cursed Junhoe’s ability to sleep through anything, but he was happy that the habit came through when he needed it most.

As he stepped into the kitchen to began brewing their morning coffee, Bobby realized that there weren’t going to be many more opportunities for sporadic romantic acts (six more days to be exact). So, the elder wanted to make breakfast for Junhoe to wake up to.

Since the two’s taste varied pretty greatly, Bobby decided on omelettes and hash browns, which are both foods Junhoe claimed to like when they ate them together in the past. For Junhoe, he put fish inside of the omelette and just cheese within his own.

It only took 15 minutes to get everything ready, including putting the coffee and food in the prettiest display he could manage on the patio table for them to enjoy outside. After he finished setting up, Bobby snuck back inside to wake up the younger with a few repeated kisses against his temple.

Junhoe groaned in response as the blonde chuckled lightly, “Wake up, June. I made breakfast.”

“You made breakfast?” the younger questioned as he perked his head up slightly and rubbed some of the sleep from his eyes.

“I did,” the elder confirmed as he shook his lover back and forth to help him become alert. “Now, come on before it gets cold.”

Junhoe begrudgingly got up from his spot on the couch with the promise of breakfast in mind and followed Bobby out onto the patio. He shivered a bit at the feeling of cold, morning air hitting his bare legs as he pulled his hood over his messy bedhead to get warmer.

“You hate seafood and you still made me an omelette with fish in it,” Junhoe beamed as he took the seat opposite of Bobby on the patio. 

“It’s because I’m the best,” Bobby smirked back as he took a giant bite of his omelette.

“Don’t push it,” Junhoe chided back, but a smile still remained on his lips as he spoke. He took a bite of his own food before speaking again, “This was really sweet, Bobby. Thank you for making breakfast.”

“Of course,” the elder smiled as he grabbed Junhoe’s hand from across the table and gave it a quick squeeze. “I want to make these last few days count.”

“Me too,” Junhoe said somberly as he brought the elder’s hand to his lips to give it a quick peck. As he let go of Bobby’s hand, he continued, “Speaking of a few more days left, I have to talk to your grandfather about quitting Jiwon’s.”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” Bobby confirmed as he drank a gulp of coffee. “The more notice he has, the better.”

Junhoe made a noise of agreement in reply as the two began digging into their food again, a sad silence sitting heavily between them. Even though there were tears and sadness the night before, nothing was actually discussed because the two were too tired and emotional to work out all of the logistics of the merman returning home.

After each of them had finished most of their food, Bobby interrupted the silence, “So, this is really happening, isn’t it? You really have to go in seven days?”

Junhoe dropped his fork onto his clean plate as he sighed, “Yeah, I really do. President Neptune said my mission will be complete in exactly seven days and that I’ll have to return.”

“Do you know what your mission even is yet?” Bobby questioned in disbelief. Junhoe shook his head as the elder continued, “It’d be nice if the guy would at least let you know. I mean, can you postpone it? If you knew what the mission was, maybe you could delay it and stay a little longer.”

Junhoe hid his face behind his cup of coffee and took a quick sip before replying, “I tried to reason the same thing with him, but he wasn’t having any of it. All he said is that I have seven days to say goodbye to you.”

The blonde’s face contorted in confusion as he responded, “He knows about me?”

“He knows everything,” Junhoe explained as he stacked his plate on top of Bobby’s and began making his way inside. The elder followed behind him with the two empty coffee mugs in hand as Junhoe continued, “He has the power to see all merman and mermaids at any given moment. He keeps pretty good tabs on the merpeople who are currently humans to ensure their safety. He told me he was happy that we found each other. Whatever that means.”

Bobby scrunched his eyebrows together in deep thought as the two of them began washing the dirty dishes created from breakfast. What exactly did President Neptune mean when he said that he was happy the two had found each other? How did the guy even know that Bobby existed if he wasn’t a merman? It was all so confusing that it gave the boy a headache.

Once they finished washing, rinsing, and drying the dishes, Junhoe wrapped his arms around Bobby’s waist and pulled the elder to his body. Bobby sighed into the merman’s chest as he wrapped his own arms around the younger’s waist and squeezed tightly.

They stayed in that embrace for a few moments, letting the warmth of their arms bring some kind of comfort in a situation that felt foreign and too painful to bare. The blue-haired boy kissed the top of Bobby’s head before speaking, “Well, I better talk to your grandpa today.”

The blonde sighed as he pulled away and planted a peck on Junhoe’s lips, “Yeah, you should. Let’s go over there now.”

It only took a few minutes for the pair to get ready. They each threw on one of Junhoe’s hoodies and flattened down their messy bed-heads to look semi-presentable before walking out of the door without much care about their appearance. It felt meaningless when they were that sad.

The walk to Jiwon’s was quiet and serene. The sun had just risen above the clouds and the heat of the day had only just begun, leaving the streets of Ocean Grove windy and cool against the pair’s skin. Junhoe had his arms linked with Bobby’s all along the way. 

When the bell above Jiwon’s door chimed, signalling the pair’s arrival, their co-workers offered them a friendly salutation, but the boys couldn't offer anything more than a weak smile as they made their way to Jiwon Senior’s office. As they entered, the elderly man turned his attention from the paperwork on his desk to look up and smirk at the couple’s arrival.

“Well, you two look like shit. Did you two get so wild last night in bed that you couldn’t even brush your hair to come see me?” Jiwon Senior teased playfully.

The white-haired man’s smirk faded instantly once Bobby and Junhoe’s usual blushing and quick retort back didn’t come immediately after his joke. He eyed his youngers quizzically as the two took the available seats in front of his desk, “What’s going on boys?”

“I-I have to leave, sir,” Junhoe spat out in a jumble of words too quickly, too nervous, unsure, and sad to not stutter. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you any sooner, but I just got news from my parents that I have to go back home in exactly seven days.”

“Seven days, huh?” Jiwon Senior asked as he worriedly eyed his grandson who was twiddling his thumbs and not looking up from the ground. “Well, I’ll be very sad to see you go. You’re my best employee and a great young man. I hope you keep in touch.”

“I will, sir,” Junhoe gulped as he was forced to lie. “I’m really sorry about the inconvenience. I promise I’ll find people to cover the shifts I have scheduled after I leave.”

“That won’t be a problem, my boy,” Jiwon Senior replied lovingly. “I’ll take care of it for you. You’ve done enough work around here to get cut some slack. And unless either of you need the money, you’re both free to have the remainder of the week off so you can say your proper goodbyes.”

Bobby’s head finally perked up at his grandfather’s last comment as Junhoe was quick to respond, “W-wait really? You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I know. I’m doing it for you two,” the eldest smiled softly at the two, but a hint of sadness laid behind his features as he turned to the merman. “Junhoe, if you don’t mind, could you give Bobby and I a few minutes alone before you two leave?”

“Of course,” the blue-haired boy said as he lifted himself from his seat immediately and began walking out the door. “Thank you again, sir.”

Jiwon Senior gave the youngest another smile in response as Junhoe shut the door behind him and waited patiently for his lover to come out. Bobby, on the other hand, kept his eyes down on the floor as his grandfather sighed, “How are you doing, my boy?”

“I’m fine, Gramps,” Bobby mumbled as he moved his feet mindlessly.

“Look at me, Bobby,” the elder commanded soothingly and Bobby followed the order as Jiwon Senior continued. “I know this can’t be easy on you. What are you going to do?”

Bobby bit his lip in frustration as tears began to prick as his chocolate-brown eyes, “I have no fucking idea.” 

-:¦:--:¦:-With 5 Days Remaining-:¦:--:¦:-

“So what’s one thing you’ve wanted to try as a human but haven’t gotten around to yet?” Bobby asked out of the blue as the two walked hand in hand along the sidewalks of Ocean Grove.

“Hm, I guess I haven’t really thought about that,” Junhoe pondered as the two took a turn towards the younger’s house. “You know, I always wanted to try smoking a cigarette. So many people around here do it and I never really got the hype.”

“Really?” Bobby asked in surprise as Junhoe nodded. “I mean, they taste gross and they’re nothing special, but sometimes they take the edge off. I used to smoke in high school, but I quit after a few months. I only ever smoke them on rare occasions, but I’ll smoke a pack with you if you want.”

“Fuck it, let’s do it. I won’t need these lungs for much longer anyway,” the younger shrugged as they turned into a convenience store. 

Junhoe picked out a lighter and a random pack of cigarettes, Camel Crush Silvers, and grabbed a wad of cash from inside of his pockets to hand to the cashier. Junhoe thanked the man as he shoved the lighter and pack of cigarettes into his pocket and exited the store after the exchange.

Once they made it back to the younger’s house, just a few block north of the convenience store, the two immediately made their way to the patio. Bobby grabbed each of them a water bottle from Junhoe’s fridge before going outside, where he found Junhoe already pulling out two cigarettes for each of them.

“So, how do I do this?” the merman asked as he eyed the cancer stick curiously. Bobby chuckled as he grabbed a cigarette and brought the lit lighter to the end. Junhoe watched in amazement as the cigarette burned to life and a puff of smoke left Bobby’s lips once he pulled the cigarette from his mouth.

The elder then handed the already-lit cigarette to Junhoe before lighting another one of his own and taking a bigger puff than before, grateful for the release of stress it provided. Junhoe watched the blonde’s movements carefully to mimic them exactly as he brought the cigarette to his lips, sucked in a breath, and immediately coughed the smoke back up before properly inhaling.

Bobby chuckled as he took another drag from his own cigarette. Junhoe took a giant gulp of water before exclaiming, “This shit is vile! How do you humans do this?”

“We’re all secretly masochists,” Bobby responded as Junhoe flicked his cigarette into his small yard.

“Apparently,” Junhoe stated as he took the cigarette away from Bobby’s fingers and took another puff. Bobby laughed lightly, “Hey, what was that for?”

Junhoe took a few more puffs, trying to get used to the disgusting flavor in order to reach it’s calming properties, before replying, “I only need my lungs for five more days. You needs yours for the rest of your life. I’m not letting you ruin them at 20.”

Bobby chuckled at the sentiment as he laced his fingers with Junhoe’s across the table. They stayed in silence then, rubbing their thumbs against each other’s palms as Junhoe continued puffing away at the cigarette he was now getting used to. They talked infrequently about the weather and the best parts about Ocean Grove, the parts both of them would miss when they would have to leave. The friendly owner of the best coffee shop in town, their young but enthusiastic co-workers, the woman who worked at the outside market and always gave the boys free samples, the smiling faces of their neighbors who always greeted them in such a friendly manner. How they’d miss each other so much that a hole would be created in each of their hearts that could never be filled by anybody but one another once they parted. How they both wished with all their might that they could make this work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I know I suck SO bad for not updating this story in over a month, but I hope you enjoy this new installment even though it's very, very late. Life has been hectic but has finally calmed down now that school is out. Thank you all for sticking with me and continuing to leave kudos, comments, and love; it is so, so appreciated. If you have the time, PLEASE leave a comment. Thank you all so much and enjoy <3.


	10. ten

-:¦:--:¦:-With 4 Days Remaining-:¦:--:¦:-

Bobby and Junhoe spent most of their day outside. Since the heat wasn’t predicted to be brutal for most of the week, the two decided it would be a good idea to run some errands for the elder’s grandparents and enjoy the breeze.

They walked hand in hand most of the way, letting casual conversation float comfortably between them as they zig-zagged along the streets in order to hit every necessary stop. They waved friendly hellos at their neighbors and familiar faces they passed along the way.

Just as they were about to reach their final stop, the outdoor market where Bobby’s grandmother wanted apples from, Junhoe pulled the elder into the smoothie shop he always raved about. Bobby eyed him curiously as they were welcomed by a young employee and a heavy flow of air conditioning.

“What are we doing here?” Bobby questioned as his eyebrows furrowed together.

“Well, it is a smoothie shop,” Junhoe pointed out sarcastically as he led the blonde to a table in the corner of the store next to tall windows. “I thought I’d buy us some smoothies before we get the apples and stop by your grandparents house. What kind do you want?”

“Isn’t your favorite strawberry-banana?” the elder asked and Junhoe nodded enthusiastically in return. Bobby smiled and kissed the merman’s cheek before continuing, “Then I’ll have that one, please. Thank you, babe.”

Junhoe blushed at his lover’s affection with a smile as he nodded and made his way to the counter to order two identical drinks. It didn’t take long for the friendly kid at the counter to blend the drinks and hand them to the blue-haired boy. Junhoe paid and thanked him with a tip before making his way back to the table with the drinks in hand.

Neither of the boys wasted any time and immediately began digging into the drinks, slurping up huge gulps through their straws as if they couldn’t drink it fast enough. Bobby exhaled delightedly as he swallowed his first drink and talked, “Damn, these things are good.” 

“It’s a fucking shame that I can’t get these underwater,” the blue-haired boy whined as he sucked down more of his smoothie, surely fast enough for him to get a brain freeze. Bobby figured he either didn’t care or that mermen were immune to that sort of thing.

“It really is,” Bobby agreed as he slurped down his own at a pretty swift rate. “I’m damn near going to miss these more than you when I finally go back to Fairfax.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll miss them more than you too,” the younger chuckled and rolled his eyes playfully. “But really, what are you most excited about to do once you get back to Fairfax?”

Bobby pondered for a moment before responding, “You know, I actually haven’t had much time to miss Fairfax while I was here. I’ve spent most of my time doing amazing things with you, and that couldn’t compare to anything I have back home.”

“Don’t get soft on me, now,” Junhoe complained, but the blonde could see the hint of a smile that snuck onto the younger’s cheeks at Bobby’s comment. The merman continued as he sucked up the last bit of his smoothie in a flash, “But really, what’s back home?”

“Well, I certainly miss Jinhwan, Yunhyeong, and even Hanbin in a very platonic way,” the elder admitted as he leaned back in his chair with his hands tucked behind his head. “And I do miss music. I’ve written pieces here and there since I’ve been in Ocean Grove, but I haven’t really dedicated much time to it while I’ve been here.”

“I understand that,” Junhoe nodded as he stretched out his arms. “I hope you get more time once I’m gone to do that.”

“I will. But I don’t regret taking a break from it. I had much more fun being with you than being cooped up in my room making beats. I love music, but it was amazing to see the world in a new light with you around,” Bobby admitted as he turned his attention to look at Junhoe. “What about you? What are you most excited to get back to?”

“I think I miss swimming the most,” Junhoe admitted as he mindlessly took one of Bobby’s hands within his own and began playing with his fingers. “It’s going to be weird going back, honestly. The world underwater is so much different than the human world. It will be nice to go back to my daily routine and be back with familiar faces, though. I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss some family and friends down there. But more than anything, I just wish I could take you with me.”

Bobby squeezed the younger’s hand encouragingly before replying, “Me too, June. Me too.” 

-:¦:--:¦:-With 3 Days Remaining-:¦:--:¦:-

The sun hid behind the clouds most of the day, but it made the town cool and breezy. So, the couple found themselves on the balcony most of the day, talking and laughing and being alone together. 

Junhoe’s feet laid on top of Bobby’s lap as the elder rubbed them leisurely in-between writing lyrics that came to his mind on his beaten-up notebook. The younger’s nose was in a book, enjoying the wind and the sight of his boyfriend pampering him.

Bobby looked up to admire his lover. His jaw was relaxed and his skin beautiful and golden as his eyes flashed hungrily across the pages. Bobby smiled at him as a delightful idea crossed his mind, “Do you want to get drunk?”

Junhoe chuckled as he looked up from the book he was reading to peer at Bobby’s pleading eyes. The younger pulled his feet off of the blonde’s lap and slid his sandals back on before standing up and responding, “Yeah, fuck it. Let’s do it.”

Bobby smirked up at the merman before standing up himself as they both made their way to the kitchen. When they reached the liquor cabinet above the stove, it turned out to be mostly bare besides a bottle of whiskey. Since neither of them were legal, it was hard to be picky about the alcohol they could find.

The younger grabbed the bottle and two small glasses from the cabinet and filled each of them to the brim. Both of the boys grabbed their glasses at the same time, their knuckles brushing against each other’s as they raised them in the air.

“Cheers,” Junhoe said nonchalantly as he brought his whiskey closer to Bobby’s.

“Cheers to what?” Bobby questioned with a lift of his eyebrow.

“To you,” Junhoe responded softly. “To you and everything you’ve given me.”

“Was that supposed to be sweet or are you referring to the dick I gave you last night?” the elder teased with a wink as he clinked his glass quickly against Junhoe’s before the merman could pull it away.

Instead of his usual witty response, Junhoe just chuckled, just let his laugh resound like thunder against the walls of the kitchen. Bobby couldn’t help but laugh along in-between sips as the blue-haired boy smiled like the sun after 3 days of rain, smile like he wasn’t going to leave for good in three short days.

They finished their first drink (and a few more) just like that, laughing and smiling about the funniest and most embarrassing events of their relationship. The time that they got caught making out in the break room. The time a drunk Junhoe fell off of the balcony into his backyard. The time Junhoe accidentally slapped Bobby in the face mid-thrust and they laughed so hard that they stopped having sex entirely.

And each memory was more beautiful and funnier than the last. They ended up sitting on the kitchen floor with the bottle of whiskey in-between them, filling up their glasses each time they neared empty until the bottle itself was empty and the duo’s stomachs were full of giggles and whiskey.

“We’ve really had some good times,” Bobby reminisced as he wiped a tear from his eyes induced by all of the laughing. “I’ll never forget any of them.”

“I won’t either,” Junhoe responded sincerely as his chuckles finally died down to a small smile gracing his lips. He took the last swig of the whiskey in his glass before looking up at his lover to continue, “I think the best one, though, is the first day we met.”

“Why is that?” the elder questioned curiously, his words slightly slurring from the liquor as he rested his chin against his knuckles.

The younger smiled a little wider at that, letting his teeth shine through his lips as he grabbed Bobby’s hand gently, “Well, first of all, you were so damn annoying that first day I really thought I would have to quit Jiwon’s to get rid of you.”

The blonde immediately burst into a fit of chuckles, taking his free hand to hide his mouth as he did so. Junhoe was smiling too as the elder replied, “You know I was doing it on purpose, right?”

“Of course I did,” the blue-haired boy stated as Bobby gulped down the last drink of whiskey in his glass. “At first it was insufferable, but the more we talked, the more I was intrigued by you. It felt like you were pulling on me.”

“So, it wasn’t love at first sight?” Bobby fake-swooned as he batted his eyes flirtatiously. Both of them laughed at his exaggerated actions. 

“More like love at third sight,” Junhoe smirked. “I thought you were hot the second I saw you in Jiwon Senior’s office, but I didn’t think you were tolerable until we started talking about marine biology.”

“I felt like we connected then too,” Bobby agreed as he scooched closer to the younger, letting his hands fingertips fall onto Junhoe’s thighs and trace gentle patterns into the fabric of his jeans. “I thought you were the most interesting person in the world once we started talking about it, and even more so when you showed me around town after our shifts that day. I felt so connected to you.”

“Me too,” Junhoe agreed breathily, his body on high alert as the blonde continued to trail his fingers against his thighs, trailing them higher and higher with each movement. He veered dangerously close to the younger’s most sensitive spot as he did so. Junhoe licked his lips as his skin tingled, his body on high alert from the alcohol and the touches. “I feel connected to you now too.”

“Oh, yeah?” Bobby asked seductively as he leaned in closer and let his breath brush against Junhoe’s neck. The younger gasped as the blonde began leaving passionate but gentle kisses against the skin of his neck. “How about now?”

The merman groaned as he fisted Bobby’s shirt into his palms and pulled him to his chest. The blonde’s eyes widened at the sudden movement and Junhoe couldn’t help but smirk at his lover’s reaction. Junhoe landed a passionate peck against Bobby’s lips before finally responding. “Yeah, I can feel it. Can you?”

Bobby chuckled, partially because of the whiskey that ran through his system, partially because of the fact that neither of them could ever take anything too seriously. The elder kissed Junhoe again, a bit longer this time, before speaking, “Yeah, I can feel it. How about we go feel it in the bedroom.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” Junhoe affirmed quickly. 

Then the rest was a blur of quick motions of standing up on wobbly legs and trying to make their way to Junhoe’s bed as quickly as their limbs could take them. Bobby picked the younger up somewhere along the hallway as they swerved every which way into the bedroom, giggling drunken breaths onto each other’s necks all along the way.

 

-:¦:--:¦:-With 2 Days Remaining-:¦:--:¦:-

Bobby was following Junhoe around like a lost puppy for most of the afternoon. After sleeping in pretty late, Junhoe went into overdrive trying to organize all of his belongings before his official move back to the ocean. The younger had most of the stuff he wasn’t going to use in the following few days separated into boxes or sections. Some of the things were going to Chanwoo or Donghyuk, others to Jiwon Senior and some co-workers, some to charity, and most to Bobby.

The elder helped him along the way; moving items in and out of boxes and piles per Junhoe’s instruction to help the process along. It was the least Bobby could do after the merman had let him have a six day consecutive sleepover at his house since the incident. 

“Can you help me in the guest room real quick?” Junhoe asked as he panted, sweat dripping on his brow from the amount of moving the two had done in the past few hours. Bobby nodded with a small smile before the younger continued, “There’s still some stuff I need to give away.”

Once they made it into the beige-painted room, which was small and filled to the brim with all of Junhoe’s collection of human memorabilia, Junhoe pointed to the large case of bookshelves up against the wall. The blonde eyed it curiously as his lover stated, “I want you to have these.” 

Bobby turned his attention from Junhoe to the bookshelf and a look of shock came onto his features. Once he scanned the various titles, the elder turned to face Junhoe and immediately said, “Your marine biology book collection? I can’t take this from you.” 

“Well, I certainly won’t need them underwater,” the blue-haired boy answered matter-of-factly. He shrugged as he continued, “Plus, I can experience all of this stuff firsthand once I get back. I only bought them all to remind me of home. Now, I want them to remind you of me.” 

Bobby smiled as he moved closer to his lover. The blonde leaned his head against Junhoe’s shoulder and the younger followed suit by wrapping his arm around his waist. Bobby sighed contently, “You’ll have to tell me more about the cool animals you find when we see each other again”

“Yes,” Junhoe responded with a shaky breath as he rubbed soothing circles against the elder’s back. The merman gulped before continuing, “When I see you again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know I'm the worst for taking so long to update BUT I hope you enjoy this chapter regardless! There's only about 3 chapters left of this story and it's so crazy to think about how close to the end we are. Thank you, as always, for reading and leaving kudos and such lovely comments; they really mean the world. If you have the time, please leave another one! I will do my best to update a little more swiftly next time <3.


	11. eleven

-:¦:--:¦:-With 1 Day Remaining-:¦:--:¦:-

Junhoe and Bobby walked happily down the streets of Ocean Grove as if that day was just like any other. The boys did their best to keep the fears of tomorrow out of their thoughts, but it was hard to ignore the feeling in the pits of their stomachs that knew what the next day held. It was evident in how much closer they walked together that day, their arms interlocked and their shoulders bumping into each other with every step. 

“So, what are we doing this evening?” Bobby asked suddenly to keep his mind focused. 

“Well, I’ve actually been saving up to get you a present,” Junhoe began as a mischievous smile creeped onto his features. “I actually have it ready at the jewelry shop if you want to go pick it up.” 

“Wait, are you serious?” Bobby asked as he stopped dead in his tracks on the sidewalk, unlinking his arms from the younger’s to look at him more directly. “You didn’t have to do that for me.”

“Of course I did,” Junhoe insisted as he looped his arms back with Bobby’s and took a right turn to head towards the local jewelry store. Bobby shook his head at the blue-haired boy, but a toothy smile hid any sense of true protest to the gift.

Once they arrived, the jeweler, a regular at _Jiwon’s_ , gave the duo a bright smile. He spoke first, “Well, hello boys! Which one of you are picking up your piece?”

Junhoe turned to his boyfriend and scrunched his eyebrows in confusion before talking, “Wait, you have something here to pick up too?”

Bobby smirked, “I may or may not have also gotten you a present.” 

The merman shoved his lover playfully and smiled, “And you were guilt-tripping me the whole way over here about how I shouldn’t spend my money on you!”

They laughed at each other for a moment before the elder replied, “I said you shouldn’t spend your money on me, not the other way around.”

Junhoe rolled his eyes, but a smile still remained on his plump lips as the boys made their way to the counter. The jeweler laughed along with them, “You guys are the funniest couple in all of Ocean Grove.”

“We get that a lot,” Bobby admitted with a wink before continuing. “But can we pick up both of our purchases today?”

“Sure thing!” the man smiled as he pushed his glasses further up onto his face. He disappeared into the back of the shop for only a few moments before coming out with two velvet boxes pretty close in size. He handed the appropriate box to each of the boys before speaking again. “Since you both have already paid, you’re good to go! If there are any problems, please feel free to drop by.”

“Thank you!” the boys said appreciatively in unison as they linked their fingers together and walked out of the store.

Since both of them hadn’t eaten much that day due to a mutual stomach ache, the couple decided on grabbing dinner at their favorite restaurant (the seafood place that Bobby had once protested against but was now addicted to their burgers) one final time to open their presents and eat their hearts out.

They were seated at a booth near the window that had the most beautiful view of the beach, but each of the boys did their best to ignore the ocean. Something that was once so beautiful to the pair meant something entirely different that day. Even looking at the crashing waves made their skin crawl.

After ordering their drinks, a diet cola for Bobby and three glasses of water for Junhoe, Bobby grabbed the velvet box inside of his pocket and pushed it towards the younger. He smiled as he peered up at his favorite boy, “Open it.”

“You open yours too,” Junhoe insisted as he took out his own velvet box and placed it on the table close to the blonde. 

Bobby waited for Junhoe to open his first, wanting to admire the blue-haired boy’s reaction when he saw the gift for the first time. The younger’s eyes popped in disbelief as he opened the small box to reveal two gorgeous pearl earrings within. 

“Bob, these are beautiful, holy shit,” Junhoe admired as he immediately took the old studs out of his ears to replace them with Bobby’s present. He looked up at the elder with a smile and asked, “Could you please put them in for me, babe?”

The blonde nodded enthusiastically as he stuck the pearls in Junhoe’s piercing and complimented him, “They look amazing on you. I hope they remind you of me when you’re away.”

“Of course they will,” Junhoe assured as he gripped one of Bobby’s hands in his own and squeezed it. “You really didn’t have to do this for me. Thank you so much. Now you open yours!”

“It’s amazing that you’re demanding and whiny even while we’re gift-giving,” the elder teased as he pulled Junhoe’s present closer to him.

“It’s one of my many talents. Plus, who would I be if I wasn’t?” the merman questioned as he took a gulp of water and smirked behind the glass.

“Fair enough,” the elder chuckled as he finally opened the box and all signs of a smile faded into a look of shock. Bobby placed his hand over his mouth as he gasped at the present within.

“Oh god, you don’t like it, do you? Fuck. I bet we have enough time to go back to the shop and get something else! I’m so sorry,” Junhoe rambled on apologetically.

“No, no, that’s not it at all,” Bobby responded urgently as he took the seashell bracelet out of the box. He held it up against the tattoo that resided on Junhoe’s wrist and teared up slightly. “It looks just like your tattoo.”

“I had it made that way on purpose,” Junhoe smiled as he took the bracelet from the elder’s grasp to link it across his wrist. “Now we both have seashells on our wrists. I thought it would remind you of me.”

“There’s no better way to do that,” Bobby commented as he got up from his seat across from Junhoe to join his partner on his side of the booth. “I love it. Thank you so, so much.”

“I’m glad you do,” Junhoe said sincerely as Bobby linked his arm with the younger’s and rested his head against his shoulder. The merman scoffed playfully, “So now we’re that ugly couple that sits on the same side of the booth?”

“Yes, we are. This is my last night with you so you can shut up about it too,” Bobby responded as he buried his nose deeper into the younger’s shoulder. 

Junhoe chuckled as he planted a kiss on top of the elder’s head, “You know what? Tonight, I will.”

The rest of the dinner went in a similar fashion. The boys laughed and joked and talked about whatever crossed their mind, letting the heavy subject matters fade in-between the conversations and good food. And before they knew it, they were back at Junhoe’s place for their final night together.

As they dropped off their belongings in the kitchen, Bobby pointed towards the alcohol cabinet above the stove as he asked, “Do you want to get drunk tonight? It’ll be your last chance to.”

Junhoe’s lips formed into the softest smile that Bobby had ever seen before responding, “No. I want to remember every single detail of tonight.” 

Bobby’s breath hitched at his lover’s comment as the taller man moved closer to him. Junhoe placed his hands against the elder’s hips and gripped as he pulled him to his chest. He let a breath of air tickle against Bobby’s ear as he whispered, “I want to feel every single inch of you tonight.”

The elder shivered at the comment as he licked his lips and began peppering Junhoe’s chin and neck with small kisses. Each one made Junhoe’s body react with a twitch or a soft breath leaving his lips and Bobby wanted to drown in every single movement. In-between a few kisses, the blonde managed to finally answer, “Then you better get to it.”

Junhoe growled at that as he gripped onto the edge of Bobby’s t-shirt and used it to drag him from the kitchen into the bedroom, getting lost in kisses along the way. By the time they made it down the hall, they were beginning to unbutton their jeans while their tongues danced with one another’s, letting the sloppy, hot kisses consume them.

Once their pants were discarded at the end of the hallway, the blonde whined as he pulled at the edge of Junhoe’s shirt to signal that he wanted it off. The merman smirked as he got the hint and tore his shirt off of his body with Bobby not far behind him.

The elder then pulled Junhoe’s naked form to the bed, pulling him flush against his chest as they continued to get lost in kisses. As Junhoe’s half hardon brushed against Bobby’s, they both moaned into each other’s lips. 

The younger wasted no time as he began grinding against Bobby, too hungry for friction and Bobby’s touch to wait any longer. The elder moaned loudly enough to break the kiss as he began humping up to match Junhoe’s movements.

The blue-haired boy groaned at his lover’s actions, too fucked up on the feeling of their erections rubbing against each other and Bobby’s blissed-out expressions to filter his words, “Are you that needy for me, baby? Do you want my cock that badly?”

Bobby let out a filthy whine at the dirty talk as he began rutting up even harder against Junhoe, “Fuck yes I do. Please give it to me, baby, please fuck me.”

Junhoe bit his lip hard enough to produce blood as he reached into the drawer of the nightstand to grab the lube as fast as his body would take him. He poured a generous amount onto his fingertips and rubbed the digits together as he continued to rock against Bobby, wanting to keep his boyfriend as satisfied as possible.

After a few moments of warming up the lube, Junhoe lifted himself from his boyfriend with a whine from each of them as he lined up his pointer finger with the elder’s hole. Bobby licked his lips as he watched the younger, his dick already leaking with precum in anticipation.

Junhoe trailed kisses along Bobby’s hips and stomach, leaving his dripping length untouched on purpose to tease him as the blonde breathed heavily. Once Junhoe was finished teasing, he looked up seductively and questioned, “Are you ready, baby?”

“Fuck yeah,” Bobby replied quickly and breathily, his deep, raspy voice sounding from his vocal chords and somehow turning Junhoe on even more than before.

With his permission, Junhoe inserted his pointer finger into Bobby, moving it in and out slowly as he continued to kiss against the elder’s thighs and hips. The blonde clenched at the intrusion and Junhoe couldn’t help but moan at the thought of Bobby’s ass clenching just as hard around his dick in just a few short minutes.

Bobby whined as the younger pushed in another finger, gently scissoring them in his hole with calculated movements to properly prepare his boyfriend. Before long, Junhoe added a third and a fourth to the tightness, leaving Bobby mewling at the intrusion as Junhoe began licking against the elder’s length for added pleasure.

“Fuck, you’re going to make me cum already,” Bobby moaned as he was stuffed full of fingers.

“Now, we can’t have that,” Junhoe responded lowly as he stopped mouthing as his cock and removed all of his fingers from Bobby’s ass gently.

The elder let out a filthy whine at the loss of heated contact as Junhoe grabbed the lube again. This time, to pour along his throbbing cock. He then began stroking his dick slowly, letting the lube and his precum mix to make the slide into Bobby easier and less painful.

“Please just put it in me,” Bobby began to beg as he lifted his hips into the air. “I can’t take it. I need your cock so fucking bad.”

“God damn, your filthy fucking mouth could just about kill me,” Junhoe groaned as he lined up his erection with Bobby’s ass. And with that, he pushed in, letting just past the tip of his dick slide in.

Each of them moaned loud enough for it to echo against the walls of the bedroom. Bobby’s ass clenched so tightly around Junhoe that he swore he could cum already, but he couldn’t. He wanted it to last forever. He _needed_ it to last forever.

“I’m okay,” Bobby insisted as he pushed against Junhoe to swallow more of his length. “Give it to me. Give me every inch of your big cock.”

Junhoe wasn’t one to ignore the elder’s wishes, so he snapped his hips into Bobby, pushing all of his length into the awaiting heat with a groan. The blonde muttered the most stunning “fuck” under his breath at the action and Junhoe swore he was in heaven when he heard his soft voice. 

“Are you still okay?” Junhoe panted as he struggled to keep the desire to jackhammer into Bobby at bay.

“Yes,” Bobby replied breathlessly as the merman tucked his head into his neck and began peppering kisses against his skin.

The elder whined as Junhoe finally picked up his speed, slowly increasing his shallow thrusts into hard, fast movements into his lover as the kisses against Bobby’s neck grew sloppier and hungrier. 

Soon their speed became nearly inhuman as Junhoe let himself lose control against Bobby. With each powerful, swift thrust, the bed rattled and shook against the wall so crazily that each of them were sure it would leave marks. But neither of them gave a care in the world, too blissed out to think about anything more than red hot pleasure.

“You feel so fucking good,” Bobby moaned as his dick slapped against his stomach with each mind-numbing thrust.

“You’re so tight, baby. You’re taking me so fucking good,” Junhoe admired as he watched his cock continue to disappear into Bobby’s incredible heat. 

And then Junhoe hit that perfect spot in Bobby that had him scrunching his eyes closed and had the most beautiful sounds escaping from his throat. “A-ah, right there! Fuck, Junhoe right fucking there. Don’t stop!” 

The younger worked his cock into the same spot again and again, smirking at his lover as his face contorted into the most delicious expressions. Sweat dripped down each of their foreheads as he continued to thrust, letting his hips jackhammer into Bobby’s as the pits of their stomachs tightened to an almost unbearable point.

And then Bobby snapped. Streaks of white shot out of his cock and onto his abs as he screamed into the walls of the bedroom. The blonde’s back arched against the sheets of the bed as cum continued to spill and spill out of his beautiful length.

It didn’t take long for Junhoe to cum too, fucking his load into Bobby as he rode out the most delicious parts of his orgasm as Bobby finally came down panting and moaning. After the last of Junhoe’s orgasm spilled, he finally pulled out with a whine.

The younger crashed beside Bobby on the bed, panting heavily as he admired Bobby’s gorgeous chest rise up and down with each huff and puff to catch his breath. They stared at each other for a few moments, letting the tingles of their orgasms run through their body as they admired the beauty of one another.

As their breaths finally settled back to a normal level instead of post-sex panting, Junhoe gripped Bobby’s cheeks in his palms and kissed him passionately before pulling away with sincerity in his eyes, “I love you, Bobby. I love you so fucking much.”

Tears pricked at each of their eyes as the elder spoke, “I love you, Junhoe. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything.”

Junhoe whined at that as Bobby positioned himself back on top of the blue-haired boy, ready for another round and as many more rounds after that that their bodies could take. The elder kissed him again, sloppy and hungry and with enough passion to forget about what the morning would bring.

-:¦:--:¦:-With 0 Days Remaining-:¦:--:¦:-

Bobby woke up the next morning wrapped up in the comforter on Junhoe’s bed with a headache that pounded against his forehead. Groggily, he lifted himself into a sitting position, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and ruffled his hair. Instinctively, he looked to his right in search of Junhoe, but found the blue-haired boy’s usual spot empty.

In a panic, Bobby jumped up from the bed and began calling his boyfriend’s name into the halls of the home. Every call of Junhoe’s name increased in volume and panic, but no matter how loud he yelled, there was no answer.

“Fuck, fuck. I couldn’t have missed him. He told me he would wake me up. Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Bobby muttered to himself as he searched in every room and crevice of the small house in hopes of finding him, but it was clear: Junhoe was gone.

An idea popped inside of Bobby’s head as he searched the backyard for his favorite merman that led him to rush back into the house in search of a hoodie and his slides that resided back in the bedroom. He thought that since the sun had only just started to peak above the clouds, maybe he could still catch his lover for one final goodbye. He needed to see him one last time.

As the blonde raced back into the bedroom, something on the nightstand caught his eye: a piece of paper tucked under the lamp. Bobby gently lifted the lamp off of it in order to read what was scribbled on the lines in his lover’s handwriting. It read:

_Bobby, my love, my whole heart,_

_I’ve rewritten this letter in my head about a thousand times, but no words could make this any easier for either of us. I guess what I want to say in the simplest of words is this: I love you. I love you so much that sometimes I swear my heart is going to pump out of my chest when I look at you. I’m not usually the sappy kinda guy, but you somehow have pulled out the mushiest parts of me._

_I want you to know that no matter how far apart we are, I will love you with all of my heart regardless and I will think about you every single day for the rest of my life. I’ve prayed every night since I met you that we’d find a way to be together, but I suppose fate isn’t always on our side. It’s a damn shame._

_I hope you never lose sight of your dreams. I know you’ll become the best damn musician and the best damn lyricist this world has ever seen if you continue to work at it. I can’t wait for the day that I hear somebody playing your music when I swim close to the shore. I look forward to that day already._

_Please take care of yourself. Please know that every morning I will wake up and wish for your happiness, for your health, and that just maybe you’ll be thinking about me too._

_I’ve told you plenty of times that you’re a pain in the ass, but today, as I write this, you’re the biggest pain my heart will ever face. You will always be my greatest love. Thank you so much for teaching me about the most beautiful part of life - how to love someone so much that even the fear of the future can’t rip us apart._

_There’s one last thing that I’ve been waiting to tell you. I’ve gotten a realtor to take care of selling the house. There will be a company coming in two days to move the remaining stuff to the addresses I’ve labeled the boxes to. Most of it is going to you, but if you’d like anything that isn’t labeled, please take it. I’ve instructed the realtor to give the money I would’ve made on the house to you. You can use it any way you’d like, but I’m hoping that at least some of it goes to paying off some student loans and getting you some new equipment for making music. It won’t be much since the house is small, but I hope that it helps._

_My Bobby, my Jiwon, I love you so fucking much. You will be with me always, just like I will always be with you. Please take care of yourself the way I would. I will wish everyday that I can see that beautiful, crooked smile of yours one last time._

_Forever Yours,  
Junhoe_

As Bobby put the letter back onto the table, tear stains evident on the lines of the paper, he let himself lose it. He let sobs tear through his body as tears raced down so swiftly that Bobby thought they might never stop. He cried long and hard enough to form an ocean of his own, and he begged God that it would be big enough for Junhoe to live in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I think this is the hardest chapter I've ever had to write out of any fic I've ever written. I've had this chapter in particular planned out for a really long time though, and I'm excited to finally give you all the finished product even though it's definitely a tearjerker. I hope that despite that fact, that you still enjoyed this chapter though! As always, I am endlessly thankful for the love you all give this story. Seeing your comments and kudos truly makes my day. If you have the time, please leave a comment! Like I said in the last chapter, we're getting really close to the end of this story - only 2 chapters left! Thank you all again <3.


	12. twelve

The next month of staying in Ocean Grove was significantly less eventful than the rest of Bobby’s summer. What was once filled with laughs and love and fucking until dawn turned into a mundane routine for the blonde boy. 

He still worked at _Jiwon’s_ , except he asked his grandfather to give him more hours to pass the time. The extra money helped him save up for the stereo system he’d been trying to buy for nearly a year and it successfully kept his mind off of Junhoe. 

His coworkers would get him out of the house every once in awhile. Maybe a drink at the beach or dinner at his and Junhoe’s favorite restaurants, but instead of laughing alongside them, he could only see Junhoe in all the places he should’ve been but wasn’t. Every landmark, every building, and every street in Ocean Grove was filled with remnants of Junhoe and Bobby couldn’t see past it.

So, he spent most of his time making music. What was once a few misplaced lines on a page of inspiration turned into an entire notebook filled with pieces of choruses, verse, and prose about love and how losing it feels like getting stabbed in the chest.

Bobby sent the lyrics and beats to Jinhwan and Yunhyeong for them to critique. They complimented his newfound ability to write from the heart instead of from the dick. They ask how he is doing since Junhoe had left and he ignores them.

“Don’t you boys still talk to each other?” Jiwon Senior would ask every few days with furrowed eyebrows. Bobby’s grandmother always peeked over worryingly at her grandson in these moments to catch some sort of reaction, some sort of outburst of tears that she would need to comfort.

Bobby never replied to the question with much thought, his eyes still glued to the breakfast that he was surely swirling around the plate with his fork, “We didn’t see any point.”

“Distance shouldn’t change how much you care about each other. There’s always a way to make it work with love, dear,” his grandmother would almost always say behind her mug of steaming hot coffee. 

The blonde would push his seat out and stand up at that; would scrape his uneaten breakfast into the trashcan before heading out of the kitchen, “Not always. Not this time.”

A few weeks after Junhoe left, Bobby got a tattoo. A seashell inked onto his wrist in a place so familiar to Bobby that he could describe every centimeter of the blemish on Junhoe’s arm in painstaking detail to the tattoo artist. The final product was the most beautiful thing Bobby had ever seen besides the original.

Bobby also went to the beach every day. Whether it was a quick drop-by or a long stroll along the golden sand, the 20 year old made sure to stop at least once a day to look for him. The chances of seeing that blue tail whipping through the water was slim, but his hope was plentiful.

His routine didn’t change even on his very last day in Ocean Grove. After spending most of the week packing up his belongings, Bobby made sure to make one last trip to the beach that final Sunday night. 

As he walked the familiar path down the quiet, darkened streets of the town, Bobby reminisced about his summer. How what he once thought was the worst punishment imagineable turned into the most memorable summer of his life. He knew in his heart that one day he would find somebody to love and somebody to love him in return, but nothing could ever compete with the love that made his heart beat on those Ocean Grove streets.

Once he made it to the usual spot along the dock, he smiled softly at the memories he had shared with Junhoe there. Their not-so-typical first kiss and all of the times they would swim and laugh together near the shore. Bobby’s smile only grew as he took a seat on the dark wood, criss-crossing his legs as he stared out into the dark sky and the rumbling waves.

He closed his eyes and sighed into the air, enjoying the way the salt from the water hit his skin. Bobby stayed like that for a few moments, letting the stress and sadness wash off of him and roll into the waves one final time before he had to go back home and very shortly after, back to school.

The only thing that opened the blonde’s eyes was an unusual rustle in the water. His brown orbs shot open with furrowed eyebrows as he scanned the nearby water to find the source of the noise. Occasionally a few brave fish would swim close to the dock, but nothing big enough to produce such a loud splash.

“Boo,” a voice sounded suddenly from below the dock and Bobby let out a scared gasp before a familiar, blue-haired head popped up to surprise him.

What once was a look of fear on Bobby’s face turned into wide eyes and a beaming, crooked smile as he jumped into the water without thinking, forgetting to take his clothes off until he crashed against the water.

“It’s you!” Bobby exclaimed as he pulled Junhoe forcefully into his arms. He ravished his face with pecks, mumbling words of love in-between each kiss before saying, “It’s really you. It’s really, really you.”

“It’s me, it’s me,” Junhoe chuckled softly against the elder’s loving touches as he squeezed his arms around Bobby’s waist. 

The blonde then pushed his lips against Junhoe’s. He gripped the younger’s face in his hands with passion and love he’d never felt before. Junhoe followed suit by tangling his fingers in Bobby’s now-soaked hair, using his hands to push Bobby impossibly closer to his body and his hungry lips.

They pulled away to catch their breath after a few moments. “I mean - how? How are you here? Where have you been?” Bobby asked, his head full of questions and his heart beating so fast he swore it would beat out of his chest.

“Hold on, baby, hold on,” Junhoe said as he pushed Bobby towards the dock. “You’re going to be soaked and freezing! Let’s get on land first.” 

Bobby followed the instructions and hopped onto the dock with dripping clothes. Junhoe was just behind him, hoisting himself onto the dock just a few seconds after his lover. Only this time something was much different: the blue tail didn’t turn into golden legs.

The elder eyed the tail curiously, “Where are your legs?”

Junhoe grabbed Bobby’s hand and squeezed it before replying, “I’m not a hybrid anymore, Bobby. I can’t turn into a human anymore.”

“Ever again?” Bobby asked softly, tears already threatening to spill against the lines of his cheekbones.

The younger sighed and bowed his head, “I don’t know. I barely got permission from President Neptune to even come see you tonight, much less get my legs back.”

“Fuck him,” Bobby spat as he gripped onto Junhoe’s fingers even harder. He then moved his body closer to his lover’s and rested his head on Junhoe’s broad shoulder and placed a soft kiss against his neck before continuing, “Fuck him for taking you away from me.”

“I know, my love, I know,” Junhoe whispered into Bobby’s hair as he kissed the top of his head lovingly. The younger pulled away at the sight of the bracelet he gifted the blonde with a smile. “You’re still wearing my bracelet.”

Bobby lifted his head from the merman’s shoulder to check if his earrings were still there, and the silver glint from the moonlight confirmed that they were. The elder smiled back at him as he spoke, “You're wearing my gift too.”

“Of course I am,” Junhoe responded as he kissed his forehead. Then, the younger looked down to the black on Bobby’s wrist. “Wait, what is that?”

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Bobby admitted as he revealed his wrist to Junhoe. “I got your mark.”

“Bobby,” Junhoe said softly as he brought the tattoo to his lips and kissed it. “Thank you.”

“Now you’ll always be with me,” Bobby beamed as he brought his arm down to interlace his fingers with Junhoe’s.”

“I was always with you anyway. I always will be,” the younger admitted as he brought his free hand to Bobby’s cheekbones, placing his fingertips softly along the sharp edges to bring him closer for one last mind-blowing kiss. 

They kissed like it was the last time their lips would ever meet (and it was). Their lips were small flames dancing together, sparking against each other until a wildfire spread across their bodies. They kissed and kissed until their lips went numb and until Bobby’s back was pushed against the dock, until Junhoe’s seashell started to burn against his skin.

“Fuck,” Junhoe muttered angrily as he pulled away from Bobby. He looked down at the boy with loving, somber eyes as he continued, “Baby, I have to go.”

“No,” Bobby replied immediately as he reached his hand to brush against his lover’s face. “I just got you back.”

“I’m sorry,” Junhoe said as he slid back into the water, doing his best to ignore the burning sensation that traveled up his arm faster with each passing second. “I wish I didn’t have to go, but I must.”

“I love you, Junhoe,” the blonde whispered as he turned onto his stomach. His head hung off of the dock as he looked down at the blue-haired boy.

“I love you more,” Junhoe replied with a look of hopelessness and sadness covering his eyes. “When you come back to visit your grandparents, please come look for me,” Junhoe pleaded as he gripped Bobby’s hand tightly in his own.

Bobby rested his head against the dock and smiled somberly at the merman bobbing up and down between the waves as the seashell on the younger's wrist turned fire-engine red, “How will I find you?”

Junhoe smiled back at his lover, his eyes disappearing into crescent moons while ignoring the pain as he looked lovingly at the elder, “I’ll be able to feel you, I know I will.” 

The blue-haired boy kissed Bobby’s hand softly one last time before ducking his head underneath the water and swimming back into the deepest part of the ocean, as far away from the elder as his brilliantly blue tail could take him. 

Both of the boys cried at their last departure. Junhoe’s tears washed away in the saltiness of the ocean, while Bobby’s plopped against the dark wooded dock the boys had come to know so well that summer. He found some small amount of comfort in knowing that his tears blended into the place where the boys had shared their first and last kiss.

The blonde didn’t wait there for much longer after Junhoe left. He knew that this time was really goodbye. He knew that Junhoe’s blue hair wouldn’t pop up between the tides and come back into his arms. It was time for Bobby to say goodbye to Ocean Grove, and more importantly, to Junhoe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay before you guys get too mad: there's one more chapter left after this one! This was a really hard one to write, but again, it's a necessary part to the story. I hope that even though this is another sad chapter that you all still enjoyed! Thank you endlessly for the kudos, comments, and love you all give this story. I am so appreciative of the feedback! If you have the time, I would love to hear what you think in a comment <3.


	13. epilogue

-:¦:--:¦:-2 Years Later-:¦:--:¦:-

Music was blaring through the speakers of Bobby’s car as he turned the corner onto his grandparents’ street. He sang and bounced along to the beats and lyrics of the songs with his Seunghee singing along by his side, their hands clasped together as Bobby turned into the driveway.

The familiar, elderly faces were already sat outside on the porch swing when the two arrived. They sat up immediately as Bobby turned the car off and made his way to give them a hug. His grandmother exclaimed into the blonde’s chest “Ah my Jiwon, it’s been too long. I’m so proud of you!” 

Bobby pulled away from his grandmother only to immediately bring Jiwon Senior into a hug, who lovingly said “hey Bob-o,” in the middle of the embrace.

Once the welcomes were finished, the elderly woman brought her hand out to shake the young brunette’s hand beside Bobby, “now, is this the beautiful, little Seunghee we’ve been hearing about for the past few months?”

Seunghee blushed and shook both of the elderly couple’s hands. Bobby then wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed the top of the younger’s head before responding, “Yes, this is Seunghee. Isn’t she beautiful?”

“Even prettier than she is in pictures,” his grandmother cooed as she grabbed Seunghee’s hand and began leading her inside. Before closing the front door, she called out to her family, “I’m going to get Seunghee some coffee while you two unpack. We’ll be in the kitchen!”

The boys nodded in agreement as they made their way to the trunk to grab Bobby and Seunghee’s belongings. As Jiwon Senior grabbed one of the duffle bags, he spoke, “Now, this Seunghee girl is beautiful of course, but since when are you not gay?”

“Jesus Christ grandpa,” Bobby blushed as he rolled his eyes and shut the trunk. “Haven’t you ever heard of bisexuality?”

“Of course I have, my boy. Do you think I live under a fucking rock? I just thought you were gay since the only person you ever talked about dating was Junhoe,” his grandpa concluded as they made their way to the front door. “Speaking of which, do you still talk to him? I miss that blue-haired punk. He was always a great kid.” 

Bobby froze up at the mention of the merman’s name, “Uh, we actually don’t. We thought it’d be better to just move on completely.”

Jiwon Senior shook his head in disappointment as the boys entered the house and closed the front door behind them, “What a damn shame. Seunghee seems lovely though.”

Bobby gulped uncomfortably as he set his belongings down and the two made their way into the dining room where the girls were already seated, laughing and drinking out of colorful mugs. Bobby grabbed a cup of brew himself before sitting down beside Seunghee and wrapping his arm around her chair, “So, have you two been gossiping about me?”

Seunghee laughed, “Only about the time when you were 4 and ripped off your pants at the grocery store while throwing a tantrum.”

The tanned boy chuckled and looked at his grandmother, “Come on, grandma, you know that’s one of my worst moments.”

“Which is exactly why I told it,” the long-haired woman snickered as she winked at Seunghee.

The rest of the afternoon was spent bantering and telling stories back and forth about graduation, how Seunghee and Bobby started dating, and everything in-between. Bobby was elated that his grandparents liked his girlfriend as much as his parents and himself did. It felt right, really right.

The only thing that felt off to Bobby was the environment. Of course he adored his grandparents and the house he’d spent so much time in throughout his life, but something felt wrong. Every spot in Ocean Grove whispered Junhoe’s name and every landmark reminded him of memories the two shared.

Of course Bobby was over Junhoe and incredibly in love with Seunghee, but there was no denying that some better closure would’ve done both of the boys good. Bobby would be lying if he said he didn’t miss the blue-haired boy every damn day.

“My boy,” Jiwon Senior spoke to wake Bobby from his wandering thoughts. “How about you go get us some donuts from George’s shop down the road? We’ll keep Seunghee company while you do.”

Bobby nodded as stood up from the wooden chair, “I’ll go as long as you promise to keep the embarrassing stories to a minimum.”

“You know I can’t keep that promise,” the elderly man responded with a wink.

“Fair enough,” Bobby laughed before turning to Seunghee. “I know the old folks want glazed, but you want a powdered, custard-filled donut, right?”

“Yes, please,” Seunghee said sweetly as the two gave each other a peck and Bobby walked out of the door.

Even though the boy now had a car of his own, he felt like walking would be his best option. There was nothing quite like the breeze and the faint smell of the ocean that came up from the shore while walking through the streets of Ocean Grove. Even though it was filled with memories that hurt to remember, they were memories Bobby never wanted to forget.

As he made his way to the donut shop, something kept pulling him to the beach. He wasn’t sure if it was the remarkable sunset or the shred of hope he held about that all-too-familiar dock on the side of the beach, but it was strong enough to pull him to the sand.

Bobby basked in the glory of the view for a few moments once he arrived, letting the sun color his cheeks and calm him before making his way to the secluded area of the beach. He smiled at all of the memories that he experienced there; the first time he kissed Junhoe, the first time he realized he had a crush on a merman, and the last time he had to say goodbye to him.

He sighed as he moved closer to the dock, wanting so badly to sit on the dark wood and relive some of the most beautiful moments in his life. However, what he found on that dock was much more beautiful than anything nostalgia could muster up. 

“Is that really you?” Bobby questioned stupidly, too in shock to believe that the blue hair sitting before him was anything more than a mirage.

The familiar face turned around and rolled his eyes, “No, it’s not me. There are just a hundred merman-human hybrids with blue hair walking around here.”

“You know what, I missed you so much that I’m going to ignore your sarcasm,” Bobby replied as engulfed Junhoe in a hug, tackling the younger one against the dock in his embrace.

“Slow down there, tiger,” Junhoe laughed as he pulled Bobby in tightly and kissed the top of his head.

Bobby melted into the familiar embrace, let the past two years of pain melt into Junhoe’s all-encompassing arms. As he reluctantly pulled away, the elder said, “How are you here? How did you know I would be here?”

Junhoe sat criss-crossed and faced the elder, grasping Bobby’s hand in his own on instinct as he rubbed his thumb along the familiar canvas of veins and soft skin. He sighed and smiled lightly at Bobby, “President Neptune knows everything, Bobby. He told me you would be coming and gave me the power to come see you.”

“Really? Why is that?” the blonde pondered aloud. “You know what, I don’t even care. I’m just so glad that you’re here! How are you? What have you been doing? Tell me everything.”

“Well, I’m so sorry, Bobby, but I just don’t have that much time with these legs. I care a hell of a lot more about what you have to say,” Junhoe admitted but Bobby gave him an unpleasant glare so the younger chuckled at the expression and reluctantly continued. “But I am doing great, my love. I’m working for President Neptune now, helping with bringing people to the right place at the right time. Plus, Chanwoo and Donghyuk finished their missions and are back at home, so I’m not lonely. I’m happy. Now, how are you?” 

“I’m so happy to hear that,” Bobby responded lovingly as he gripped Junhoe’s hand tightly. “I’m doing really well, June. I graduated a few weeks ago and already have a job lined up at a big company called YG writing lyrics and I’m stoked! Things are going good. I, um, have a girlfriend actually.”

“Ah, yes,” Junhoe smiled, but Bobby could sense that the expression was forced. “President Neptune told me you had a girlfriend. I even saw her; she’s beautiful, Bobby. I’m so happy for you, I really am.”

“Thank you, Junhoe, really. Are you seeing anybody?” Bobby questioned as he scratched behind his ear awkwardly.

“Eh, on and off. I’m not really a settle-down type of guy. You’re the only one that’s ever tied me down,” Junhoe winked.

The elder chuckled at Junhoe’s characteristic cockiness and straightforwardness before letting his mind wander to a place it had went nearly every day since Junhoe left. “You know, my curiosity is fucking killing me,” Bobby proclaimed as he stared into Junhoe’s eyes. “What did your mission end up being?”

Junhoe laughed as he turned his head to the ground, contemplating something serious for a moment before meeting Bobby’s eyes, “You were my mission.”

“Oh, shut up with the sappy shit,” the blonde laughed as took his hand away from Junhoe’s to push back his hair. 

“I’m serious!” Junhoe exclaimed. “When I went back to President Neptune he told me. Everything was set up for me to meet you. Going to Ocean Grove, working for your grandfather, you coming for the summer was all fate. It was destiny that we met.”

The elder scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, “How is that a mission though? Weren’t you supposed to be saving the world or some shit?”

“Remember how I told you that missions could be personal or for the greater good of merpeople? Well, mine was personal. President Neptune told me that the only time missions come about is when fate isn’t going to align without his help. It was fate that we would meet and so he made it happen,” Junhoe explained as he pulled his knees to his chest.

“If it was fate, then why the fuck were we separated?” Bobby asked angrily.

“I asked him the same thing,” Junhoe replied sadly. “He told me that fate was set for us to meet, not necessarily for us to stay together. In some other world, at some other time, at some other place, he said we would’ve been together.”

“Fuck,” Bobby muttered under his breath as he wiped away tears that were racing down his cheeks. “That’s so fucked up.”

“I know,” Junhoe shook his head as he stared at the ground. “But no matter how much this fucking sucks, I’d rather have had every one of my experiences with you and have the pain than to have never met you at all.”

“I feel the same way,” Bobby looked at Junhoe lovingly, lifting his hand to rub against the softness of the blue-haired boy’s cheek as he spoke. “You know, you have taught me everything I know about love and I will cherish you until the day I die because of it.”

The younger smiled somberly and leaned his cheek into Bobby’s palm as he replied, “Promise me you’ll be happy. Promise me you’ll come to the dock every time you come to Ocean Grove so I can see you.”

The blonde’s smile lit up to his eyes before pulling his hand away to bring up his pinky, “I promise if you promise me you’ll do the same.”

“Of course,” Junhoe agreed quietly as he brought his pinky up to Bobby’s and locked them together. The merman kissed the top of the elder’s knuckles before pulling away and sighing, “Well, I better get back. I only have my legs for so long.”

“I should too,” Bobby admitted as he stood up and helped Junhoe stand as well. “I’ll see you around, okay?”

“Okay,” the younger smiled as he brought Bobby in for a hug. The elder snuggled his head into the crook of Junhoe’s neck and sighed, enjoying the familiar smell of the ocean and his ex-lover’s skin. As they pulled away, the boys smiled at each other - the million dollar smiles they only saved for each other. 

Junhoe then waved goodbye and splashed into the ocean as Bobby watched in amazement as his golden legs once again turned into a brilliantly blue tail. As the merman’s head emerged from the water and he flipped the hair off of his forehead, he said one final remark, “Don’t be too stupid out there. I know you’re a college graduate now, but I know you’re still the same dumbass I fell in love with.”

Bobby couldn’t help but burst into laughter as he shook his head and tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans, “You too, asshole. I love you.”

The blue-haired boy rolled his eyes and smiled, “I love you too,” before diving back into the water and racing back to the deep ocean, leaving behind Ocean Grove and Bobby for good. 

The blonde smiled and began walking back to his grandparents’ house, wiping away a few stray tears that couldn’t help but fall against his cheeks. Bobby knew that the life he had led the past two years was all because of Junhoe, and he couldn’t be happier that the younger was just as happy as he was. Saying goodbye yet again burned though; it always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I first want to say I am SO incredibly sorry that this chapter took 3 entire months to write. This semester was kicking my ass, but it is finally done. I know this isn't the ending I'm sure a lot of you were hoping for, but I felt like this was really the only way for a story like this to end. I hope you enjoyed it regardless!
> 
> As always, thank you so much everyone for your amazing feedback; I really appreciate every bit of it. I would love to hear what you thought of this chapter as well! However, I want to give a little extra shoutout to boombayah and Ookamicky, who left really wonderful comments for every single chapter once they began reading - thank you guys! Thanks to all of you for going on this journey with me <3.


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